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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Corrupt politicians always ruled Ireland

Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 10:22 AM

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Garrett Fitzgerald

I hold no brief for Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, but the fact that he was found guilty of corruption by a tribunal, not a court, does weigh in my opinion of him.

Allegations not proven in court but made in the course of an inquiry, where the defendant has no day in court to mount a defense, weaken the very nature of justice.

Was Ahern corrupt? Very likely, but we’ll never know as a jury of his peers has never considered the matter.

The Irish tribunals were a farce. Many believe they were conceived in order to give politicians who ordered them up enough time in power to get their jobs done, money stolen and only worry about the consequences later.

But the fact is that Ahern was a symptom, not the root of corruption in Ireland. The father of the Irish state Eamon de Valera stole the money he raised in America from Irish expats and used it to start the Irish Press Newspaper Group, which became the basis of his family fortune.

The One True Holy and Apostolic Ireland de Valera created was where God and Mammon lived side by side, pockets got filled and souls got saved or discarded by whatever means necessary as long as the power elite in business, church and politics got theirs.

It was to hell, or America or Britain, with the rest of the suffering idiots formerly called the citizenry.

Some politicians held up as beacon lights of probity proved not to be.

There are few more revered in retrospect than former Taoiseach Dr. Garret FitzGerald, yet consider the following from the RTE website in 1999:

“Former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald has confirmed that AIB and Ansbacher wrote off debts of almost £200,000 that he owed them six years ago. He was in financial difficulties at the time because of the collapse of the aircraft leasing company, GPA, in which he was a shareholder. Dr. FitzGerald was quoted in today’s Examiner newspaper as pointing out that the write off occurred after he had left politics. He insisted that no favors were asked or given.”

I find the last line especially hilarious. No favors were given? What is a £200,000 write off in 1999 -- close to $600,000 in today’s money?

Now if you replaced the name FitzGerald with Ahern there would be consternation and damnation all over the place. At last! Proof that Bertie had his hand in the till!

Yet there was no investigation of FitzGerald’s miraculous loan write off, no calls for an inquiry.

When it comes to corruption in Ireland no one was clean or safe. Not the founder of the state de Valera, the most “honest” politician FitzGerald, or the longest serving taoiseach Ahern.

Add in the various golden circles that surrounded most of the Irish political leaders and you have a fair old recipe for corruption and graft on a massive scale.

Ahern did powerful work on the Irish peace process which is why I will always temper my criticism of him.

In a corrupt society he was just one of many. The hands in the till fumbling for the greasy pence were at it long before he began. He just happened to get caught.

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seamus60 | Apr 07, 2012, 07:01 AM EDT

Well said Herselfathome. With the inclusion of Hume. Both men are over shadowed by those who took their advice and now claim status beyond their worth.

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herselfathome | Apr 04, 2012, 08:33 PM EDT

Bertie Ahern had little to do with the peace process in Northern Ireland. The man who brought it about was one Albert Reynolds. Reynolds went behind the scenes to talk to individuals on all sides of the conflict when it was dangerous and unpopular to do so. It was he who eventually got all around the table to talk, the result of which was the signing of the peace treaty. The process was well underway when Ahern entered the scene He had nothing to do except follow the trail and, as usual, showed up for the photocalls.

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MCCOLGAN1492 | Apr 04, 2012, 09:22 AM EDT

Corrupt Politicians rule everywhere....

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CitizenWhy | Apr 03, 2012, 11:51 PM EDT

DeValera understood truth as outward conformity to church and political pieties, not anything else. He was absolutely the wrong person for Ireland. But there were many Irish who stayed out of politics and prospered without buying "favors" from the politicians.

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SeanO | Apr 03, 2012, 04:41 PM EDT

Irish Freedom was a power struggle for political control for wealth and corruption, Irish citizen freedom was the freedom to emigrate to England, Australia, Canada & America. If it was not for imigration there would be mass poverty in Ireland.

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BARNEYKX | Apr 02, 2012, 04:40 PM EDT

IRISH POLITICS IS ROTTEN TO THE CORE

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abhainn | Mar 31, 2012, 08:00 PM EDT

Niall O'Dowd: Garret Fitzgerald retired from political life in 1992. The bank did not write off his loan until seven years later. He could not have performed any corrupt political favours for anyone since he had not wielded power for so long. You are quick to defend Bertie Ahern because he was not tried, yet you laugh at Fitzgerald, who was never even questioned. This is naked bias, O'Dowd.

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BARNEYKX | Mar 31, 2012, 01:45 PM EDT

Ahern should be hung drawn and quartered and banisher from ireland

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seamus60 | Mar 31, 2012, 08:53 AM EDT

Niall you have confirmed what most of us think. However in the absence of an admittance by Bertie of any wrong doing or even enough evidence to have him before a court, where by all accounts he will remain inocent until proven otherwise, is it really fair to condem him with such vigour ? You have in the past allowed others to slip through your condemnation net even though they have been caught out lie after lie, even to he point of an admission of wrong doing. Where`s your sense of balance and fair play ?

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Brolaur | Mar 30, 2012, 01:43 PM EDT

This Europe thing is just a smokescreen. What happened to Labour? The decisions being made NOW belong to the PRESENT Gov, not Europe. God help you Gilmore, when the next election looms and that may be sooner than you think. Labour my eye!!

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dibble2008 | Mar 30, 2012, 12:46 PM EDT

well we irish have had it up to our teeth. Its the old generation voting in the same corrupt leaders, Change is slow but nothing will stop us rooting out the rot in Irish politics. Even those in power now are trodding on their own citizens for suits in europe. 1.6 million households in ireland are due to pay a household charge before tomorrows deadline. This unjust and unfair tax was the same for everyone regardless of income. Millionaire or unwaged. Today only .5 of the 1.6 have paid. The message is clear we the irish people have had enough and we will not be dictated to by Europe.

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austin | Mar 29, 2012, 07:19 PM EDT

W ell done Jacersagain,its strange all these hulla baloo about Bertie nd the mahon tribunals report.I t seems everyone of these critics have all lost their sense of fairness and justice because they have just been waiting to have Bertie`s head on a platter at all cost.The tribunal is clear in its report they didn`t find him corrupt like the other 22 politicians mentioned they just said they didnt believe his explanation what is wrong with people in this country.Nobody is talking about the politicians found to be corrupt all focus is on Bertie why? Because there is a malicious intent to undo him afterall he has done for the country accept it all of you enjoyed it while it lasted and he made it happen. its bad time now it will end too.Just leave Bertie alone we have had worst PMS history has shown He is still the best ireland has ever got accept it.

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RedBranch | Mar 29, 2012, 05:51 PM EDT

Right On Jacers! Ahern's powerful work on the Peace Process will shortly draw to its conclusion; the withering of FF on the vine and the continued emergence of SF. No claims of corruption on those boys, barring the odd $65,000 in print catridges for one of their elected politicans.

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jackinny | Mar 29, 2012, 04:45 PM EDT

Niall any sign that the American business leaders that attended all those dinners back in the '80s & '90s were extorted ? I sat through many of the same speeches that you did where these gangsters urged the Fortune 500 to invest in Ireland. I still have nightmares from a Gerry Collins stemwinder.Would love to know if anyone has uncovered instances. Congratulations on your 1M-you & your staff have earned it!

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MichaelJTully | Mar 29, 2012, 03:14 PM EDT

I have always held that belief, since his comments about Charlie, with the flawed pedigree. Kettle calling the pot black.

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