Ireland’s former bank bosses bunker down

Living in security protected mansions

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Sean FitzPatrick's home in Greystones

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The bankers who have been accused of being the driving force behind Ireland's downfall are hiding out in their plush mansions, away from public view and scrutiny.

In the wake of the $110billion (€85billion) bailout from the EU and IMF, the former bosses of what were once Ireland's most prominent banks remained silent.

When the homes of the the former bosses of Anglo Irish, Irish Nationwide, Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland were visited by an Irish journalist, none of them were available for comment.

The former head of Anglo Irish Bank, Sean FitzPatrick was not home at his large home in Greystones. A set of new, reinforced gates were sure to keep the unwanted visitors away.

There were a few cars in the driveway, but nobody answered the intercom at the FitzPatrick residence. The 62-year-old has been questioned by Irish police but no charges have been brought against him to date.

When asked if he was sorry for his reckless actions in the past he said: "It would be very easy for me to say sorry. The cause of our problems was global so I can't say sorry with any degree of sincerity and decency but I do say thank you."

In the upper-class neighborhood of Donnybrook, in Dublin 4, the former head of AIB, Eugene Sheehy, was not in when the Herald newspaper called.

Mr Sheehy famously said two years ago that "We would rather die than raise equity", was not available to comment on the EU bailout.

Brian Goggin, former head of the Bank of Ireland was also unavailable for comment when a journalist called to his home in the exclusive Avonmore estate in Foxrock.

Conceding to his organizations failures he said in the past: “I suppose if I have a regret, my regret is that I didn't see this coming. And perhaps the lessons of economics were forgotten”.

Locked away in their ivory towers, Ireland's former bank officials appear oblivious to recent events.
 

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