Sir Tony O'Reilly - How the mighty have fallen!

Shakespeare's Sister

Why do people always have to assume dislike of someone who has done well for themselves financially is "begrudgery"?

I mean, the lads who started Daft.ie - all I think about them is that they did something brilliant and fairplay to them.
But T. O'Reilly's newspapers are appalling editorially - they really push an unpleasant agenda; that's why I'm not a fan.

Nemeses

Magaggie wrote: »

Why do people always have to assume dislike of someone who has done well for themselves financially is "begrudgery"?

Probably cos they are either jealous and /or strapping to get by and play the "oh woe is me" card.

When really, just get up off yer bum and make something outta yerself.. or get a second job!

Shakespeare's Sister

Nemeses wrote: »

Probably cos they are either jealous and /or strapping to get by and play the "oh woe is me" card.

But it can also be because the person in question is an ass, monied or not monied.

Nemeses

Magaggie wrote: »

But it can also be because the person in question is an ass, monied or not monied.

That too..

Labarbapostiza

Valetta wrote: »

Where did the jobs come from in the first place?

Sir Tony magically pulled them out of his bottom.

This is the great BS myth. That someone with access to capital, and ploughs it into a business "creates" jobs - gives them as gifts.

That the success of the business has nothing to do with how hard the employees work. it's the senior management and the "owner" (the guy who gets finance to buy the business because of his class).

Waterford Crystal existed long before Tony. And it's in his hands the whole thing went to arse.

I used to hear the stories all the time, it's amazing he took it as far as he did, before it all turned to cack and slipped through his fingers.

Quinn is another "job creator", who made an complete arse of it. Harmed everyone in the country, and cause untold misery for many of his employees - or even unemployees.

JONJO THE MISER

Only time in everything, only cared about money all his life, what has it got him in the end, nothing.

Donkey Oaty

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Only time in everything, only cared about money all his life, what has it got him in the end, nothing.

There's a lot more to the guy than that, to be fair.

Tail Docker

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Sorry my mistake.

Principle the same though. He was a wealth creator.

I think with some people just hate those who have more than they do.

Borrow me 170 million, I'll scatter it around, people can ooh and aah over how clever I am. Then, when it's gone, and there's no hope of paying it back, people can also say "ah sure jasus, he used to be doing so well". Fcuked up system we endure. Connections beget finance, finance leads to personal wealth.

Aongus Von Bismarck

I've had the pleasure of watching Tony O'Reilly speak on more than one occasion. A wonderfully perceptive, warm and engaging speaker with a great intellect and passion for business. Always a risk taker, he ended up making a few bad investments. Only for the Grace of God go most of us.

I always smirk when I read the usual shower go on about the legacy of Independent News and Media. His media group sold the most successful papers in the country. They captured the zeitgeist far better than other papers. Just because they annoyed the malcontents who believed in armed struggle and collective socialist misery doesn't mean they don't represent a valid viewpoint.

Shakespeare's Sister

Omg yeh so tru. anyone who finds those rags to be contemptible believes in armed struggle and hardline socialism.

blackvalley

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Always came across as a decent guy to me, would take no pleasure in seeing him run into financial difficulty.

Examples please of the decency of this " guy"?

Nodin

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've had the pleasure of watching Tony O'Reilly speak on more than one occasion. A wonderfully perceptive, warm and engaging speaker with a great intellect and passion for business. Always a risk taker, he ended up making a few bad investments. Only for the Grace of God go most of us. .

He poured millions into those "few bad investments". Four hundred million in Waterford crystal alone. In light of recent events, you might want to downgrade your description re "great intellect".

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I always smirk when I read the usual shower go on about the legacy of Independent News and Media. His media group sold the most successful papers in the country. They captured the zeitgeist far better than other papers. Just because they annoyed the malcontents who believed in armed struggle and collective socialist misery doesn't mean they don't represent a valid viewpoint.

No, that's just a coincidence. I mean a man who used his money to forward his own agenda and gave cheques to ray burke just has to be a good fella.

Nodin

blackvalley wrote: »

Examples please of the decency of this " guy"?

He had money.

He had a lot of money.

He was right wing.

He had a lot of money.

Sure what more do ye want? The man should have been Pope.

Sulla Felix

Judgement Day wrote: »

Noticeable in today's news reporting of Tony O'Reilly's financial woes that he has already been stripped of his title (by the media). Wouldn't have happened back in the day when he owned a sizeable chunk of it. Once the darling of the Irish business and social scene the bold Sir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly is finally on queer street. It's hard to feel much sympathy for the man given the devastation that his shenanigans have caused to the many thousands of workers who lost their jobs down the years The UK pottery industry (Royal Doulton amongst others), Waterford Glass and more bore the brunt of his mismanagement -and don't be fooled by all the old bull about how he and his family kept Waterford Wedgwood going. What about the rest of us ordinary shareholders. :mad:

Anyway, goodbye Tony and good riddance - I doubt that he'll go hungry.

I'm thanking this just for the use of queer st. Have the dinner scene from Brideshead in my mind now.

slavetothegrind

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I've had the pleasure of watching Tony O'Reilly speak on more than one occasion. A wonderfully perceptive, warm and engaging speaker with a great intellect and passion for business. Always a risk taker, he ended up making a few bad investments. Only for the Grace of God go most of us.

I always smirk when I read the usual shower go on about the legacy of Independent News and Media. His media group sold the most successful papers in the country. They captured the zeitgeist far better than other papers. Just because they annoyed the malcontents who believed in armed struggle and collective socialist misery doesn't mean they don't represent a valid viewpoint.

Post is rubbish, captured the zeitgeist my hole ! created one for them selves and their cronies, absolving themselves for their sins along the way.
Killed decent journalism IMO

humanji

You don't have to like the guy, but you can't make claims about him based on hearsay. Please remember that.

Dyr

Nodin wrote: »

He had money.

He had a lot of money.

He was right wing.

He had a lot of money.

Sure what more do ye want? The man should have been Pope.

He played rugby and hated the shinners, mere pope is beneath him

Davarus Walrus

Usual honchos out taking potshots at a man who made money and lost it. You can ruminate over it all you want, but at the end of the day it comes down to:

Jealousy.
A deep-seated hatred that his media company didn't drink the Republican kool aid.

The man contributed more to this country than a legion of neckbeard shinnerbots hammering out their nonsense on 'social media' outlets.

Shakespeare's Sister

I dislike the indo's anti public sector bullsh-t. The way it makes up sob stories about "society's most vulnerable" when it suits, then jizzes all over z-list "celebs".

rockbeast

I reckon he'll sort out the loan of a few beanz from somewhere

Tail Docker

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

Usual honchos out taking potshots at a man who made money and lost it. You can ruminate over it all you want, but at the end of the day it comes down to:

Jealousy.
A deep-seated hatred that his media company didn't drink the Republican kool aid.

The man contributed more to this country than a legion of neckbeard shinnerbots hammering out their nonsense on 'social media' outlets.

You're gonna wear that phrase out if you keep over-using it. I say "gonna"..

Davarus Walrus

Tail Docker wrote: »

You're gonna wear that phrase out if you keep over-using it. I say "gonna"..

As long as it extracts a reply from the usual late night merchants such as yourself is reason enough to keep using it. The moral heart of boards.ie outrage.

Tail Docker

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

As long as it extracts a reply from the usual late night merchants such as yourself is reason enough to keep using it. The moral heart of boards.ie outrage.

You're not here, right?

rockbeast

Tail Docker wrote: »

You're not here, right?

"hammering out their nonsense on 'social media' outlets"

I thought this one was funnier in same post:D

Jumboman

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke

Lenin Skynard

Tail Docker wrote: »

You're not here, right?

I reckon he's just got up really, really early.

Karl Stein

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

Sir Tony magically pulled them out of his bottom.

This is the great BS myth. That someone with access to capital, and ploughs it into a business "creates" jobs - gives them as gifts.

'Job Creationists'. Forget evolution - there are magical creators of jobs out there - we just can't see them.

blatantrereg

His charitable works section on wikipedia is pretty impressive. He's pumped a very large amount of money into third level education in Ireland. He set up a charity which became the central part of the Ireland Funds, which has generated $450 Million in charity for the Irish and people of Irish descent.

Don't see valid reason for the anger at him. Faulty logic maybe. Some big businessmen caused severe financial problems for the country. That doesn't mean that all big businessmen are therefore bad. My impression is that Tony O'Reilly has contributed a great deal to the country. A blanket hatred of the rich is really missing the point.

WilyCoyote

Napoleonic ubermensch-turned-untermensch. If the Queen had opened her cloak he would have licked her pussy for a knightship.
Incidentally, why is there an ambulance in waiting at all his public venues? Has he a dicky ticker?

Nodin

Bambi wrote: »

He played rugby and hated the shinners, mere pope is beneath him

You're right - he's so cultured, drinks the vino, has a nice suit - he's Irish business Jesus - 'Shaft thy fellow man', 'shag your bird sanctuary, theres a pilates centre for the children goin there'

Labarbapostiza

blatantrereg wrote: »

. That doesn't mean that all big businessmen are therefore bad. My impression is that Tony O'Reilly has contributed a great deal to the country. A blanket hatred of the rich is really missing the point.

A lot of these guys were absolutely rubbish. One reason Ireland was poor for so long, is the Irish management and business ideologies that exist to this day.

The traditional Irish upper-class; pompous morons, stuffy, constipated, conservative, zero creativity, anti-innovation, rugby fans - and of course don't forget the Galway races, or boating in Cork. Thoroughly worthless people - a burden on society. But who am I to complain, it's their society and they should be free to do with it as they chose.

Tony, took Waterford Crystal, a rock solid luxury brand, and belted it into the ground.

He's given credit for "masterminding" KerryGold. As far as I remember, the marketing impetus, and marketing cash came from the Irish government.

What's innovative about butter?

Sunnyisland

I notice that the Irish independent is not calling him sir Anthony no more ? Does mr o Brian not like him...

Labarbapostiza

realies wrote: »

I notice that the Irish independent is not calling him sir Anthony no more ? Does mr o Brian not like him...

I think Denis doesn't like any of us........He has a massive chip on his shoulder as regards our opinion of him..............And instead of taking his money somewhere nice, he's going to come home and torture us with it.

Jumboman

blatantrereg wrote: »

Don't see valid reason for the anger at him.

He ran a hate campaign against public sector workers in his papers in which he portrayed them as scum he tried to blame the financial crash on public sector workers who had nothing to do with it.

Not a nice man to say the least.

Jumboman

realies wrote: »

I notice that the Irish independent is not calling him sir Anthony no more ? Does mr o Brian not like him...

This shows that "press freedom" is a sham. "Journalists" will write whatever the owner of the paper tells them to.

Shakespeare's Sister

Jumboman wrote: »

This shows that "press freedom" is a sham. "Journalists" will write whatever the owner of the paper tells them to.

Particularly apparent in that organisation.
Richard Curran is a recent hire - reasonable kinda journo and guy... but now that he's writing for the Indo his articles throw in a whinge at the public sector and semi-states wherever they can.

blatantrereg

Jumboman wrote: »

He ran a hate campaign against public sector workers in his papers in which he portrayed them as scum he tried to blame the financial crash on public sector workers who had nothing to do with it.

Not a nice man to say the least.

Didn't know Independent News and Media was him. That's an awful organisation for more reasons than what you mention.

blatantrereg

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

The traditional Irish upper-class; pompous morons, stuffy, constipated, conservative, zero creativity, anti-innovation, rugby fans - and of course don't forget the Galway races, or boating in Cork. Thoroughly worthless people - a burden on society. But who am I to complain, it's their society and they should be free to do with it as they chose.

This is no different to saying that all poor people are scumbags.

There is a huge amount of corruption in this country. Some of the upper class can get their way with all sorts of things, even criminal and pernicious things. It's an awful state of affairs. Doesn't mean they're all like that though. Take them as a group and there is not much difference between them and any other group of people in terms of character.

Jumboman

blatantrereg wrote: »

This is no different to saying that all poor people are scumbags.

There is a huge amount of corruption in this country. Some of the upper class can get their way with all sorts of things, even criminal and pernicious things. It's an awful state of affairs. Doesn't mean they're all like that though. Take them as a group and there is not much difference between them and any other group of people in terms of character.

There is an old saying that says the poor are poor because they are honest.

I don't think you can become mega rich without having questionable morals.

Shakespeare's Sister

I'd imagine you'd have to be very tough at least (not always the sign of a bad person though - some people are very good at separating their business character from their personal character) however some people are merely born into it.

Labarbapostiza

blatantrereg wrote: »

There is a huge amount of corruption in this country. Some of the upper class can get their way with all sorts of things, even criminal and pernicious things. It's an awful state of affairs.

Doesn't mean they're all like that though. Take them as a group and there is not much difference between them and any other group of people in terms of character.

Putting corruption completely aside. As a group they have a very uniform mentality. So much industry in Ireland was poorly developed, and even wiped out, because it.

Knob Longman

meathstevie wrote: »

Definitely not from O'Reilly's entrepreneurship but from one Mr J Wedgewood, William Martin Murphy, the Irish state....etc etc. Just about everything he touched turned to pure ****e.

He was still a DemiGod to Official Ireland...:P

zambo

You might find a lot less sympathy for him among the many people who invested in Eircom and then were forced to sell their shares to O'reilly at a loss.Presumably some of the massive debt he loaded onto Eircom was used to try and prop up the price of shares in Waterford.How come no-one is painting Quinn as a hero for the billions he spent trying to prop up his investment in Anglo

oppenheimer1

Jumboman wrote: »

There is an old saying that says the poor are poor because they are honest.

I don't think you can become mega rich without having questionable morals.

Just last week AH was extolling the virtues of Elon Musk...

CatFromHue

zambo wrote: »

You might find a lot less sympathy for him among the many people who invested in Eircom and then were forced to sell their shares to O'reilly at a loss.Presumably some of the massive debt he loaded onto Eircom was used to try and prop up the price of shares in Waterford.How come no-one is painting Quinn as a hero for the billions he spent trying to prop up his investment in Anglo

A hero, I'm not sure but some people are certainly doing an awful lot of harm to the company/companies that bought his old companies/premises.