Cowen on the golf course

July 28, 2008: Druid’s Glen

Taoiseach Brian Cowen
Sean FitzPatrick (Anglo)
Fintan Drury (Anglo)
Gary McGann (Anglo)

Alan Gray (Appointed in 2007 by Cowen as a Director of the Central Bank/Financial Regulator)

Hmm. Gary McGann certainly rings a bell. Remember he resigned from the board of Anglo just prior to nationalisation.

On January 21, 2002, Mr McGann was appointed to the board of Anglo Irish Bank, along with Tom Browne (then head of its wealth management division).

In 2007, Mr McGann was named as a shareholder in ISTC, the group that collapsed that year with debts of €871m. The group was started in 2005 by former Anglo executive Tiernan O’Mahony. Denis O’Brien and Sean Quinn were also said to be shareholders.

Mr McGann, a past president of IBEC, was also involved in a company called Tysan Invesments with John Kerry Keane: A private individual who is active in the media sector, Paul Coulson: Chairman of Ardagh plc and a director of other companies, Denis O’Brien: A private individual who is active in the media sector, Lindat Limited: The owner of this company is the Chairman of Harcourt Holdings which is active in the property sector in Ireland, Britain and overseas, Lar Bradshaw: Chairman of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and amongst other things, serves as a non-executive director of Anglo Irish Bank Corporation plc, Sean Fitzpatrick: A non-executive chairman of Anglo Irish Bank Corporation plc and serves as a non-executive director of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, Greencore plc, and Aer Lingus, Paddy Wright: Chairman of the RTE Authority and a non- executive director of Anglo Irish Bank Corporation plc, Sean Melly: An entrepreneur who is active in the media sector, Pat Gunne: Chief Executive of Gunne Group which is active in the property sector in Ireland, Longstone Estates Limited: A property holding company owned by a family Trust, Lochlann Quinn: Deputy Chairman of Glen Dimplex which is active in the manufacture of electric heating and domestic appliances. Additionally, he is a Director of The Merrion Hotel. Tysan was involved in the purchase of the Atrium Microsoft building in Dublin. Mr McGann became the chairman of the DAA upon its creation in 2004.

Of course Fintan Drury was also appointed by Noel Dempsey to the RTE authority. Paddy Wright (deceased) was a former president of the Jefferson Smurfit group and a former chairman of the RTÉ Authority. Mr Wright had also been chairman of Bord Iascaigh Mhara, deputy chairman of Aer Lingus and president of the employer’s body, the CII. He was also director of Anglo-Irish Bank. Lochlainn Quinn is Labour TD Ruairi Quinn’s brother, and a cousin of Superquinn founder Fergal Quinn (who himself declared a registered interested in Anglo related companies, though later said this was a mistake). The list goes on, and on…

So are we to believe that three directors or former directors of Anglo Irish Bank, who between them have connections to Sean Quinn, RTE, the DDDA, the DAA, Aer Lingus and IBEC, and a member of the board of the Financial Regulator, played golf with the leader of the country in July 2008, and that Anglo Irish Bank was never discussed?

The Story .ie