Pee Flynn, The Late Late, Tom Gilmartin & Ahern's Demise

[the-analyst2007]

Pee Flynn, The Late Late, Tom Gilmartin & Ahern's Demise

On 15 January 1999, former Fianna Fail Minister Padraig Flynn appeared on the Late Late Show in what was Gay Byrnes last series presenting the show.

On this particular show, Byrne asked Padraig Flynn if he knew of property developer Tom Gilmartin. Flynn responded that he knew him well.

According to wikipedia Flynn seemed to be making an attack of Gilmartin's emotional stability, based on the affect of sickness of Gilmartin's wife. This hurt Gilmartin a great deal, while also bringing the illness of his wife into the picture as the real driving force behind Gilmartin's prospective testimony against Flynn at the Flood Tribunal (it was alleged that Flynn pocketed IR£50,000 from Gilmartin that was meant for Fianna Fail). If it was to be interpreted as an attack of Gilmartin's credibility, then it backfired in a spectacular manner against Flynn. Also, unknown to Flynn, Gilmartin was actually watching the Late Late on Tara Television at his home in Luton. Insensed by Flynn's comments, Gilmartin contacted RTE, with Byrne reading a statement at the end of the show clarifying matters in relation to Gilmartin's health.

Up untill this point Mr Gilmartin had refused to co-operate with then newly established Flood Tribunal into Certain Planning Matters and Payments to Politicians. However Flynn's insult to him live on national television changed his decision; he would now go and make several explosive claims regarding the development at Quarryvale (The Liffey Valley Shopping Centre).

Later in 1999, Mr Gilmartin, now fulling co-operating with the Tribunal, alleged in private interview that he had been told that the current and outgoing Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, had taken two payments from his business partner Mr Owen O'Callaghan; one of IR£50,000, the other of IR£30,000.

In 2005 the Tribunal began, in private session, to assertain whether there was any substance to Gilmartin's Ahern allegation. It ask Ahern for bank records from the period 1987 - 1997. If the Tribunal found no unusual, unexplanined lodgements, it would dismiss the allegation straight away without going to public hearings. Unfortunatly for Ahern, there was substantial amounts of money above and beyond his salary and expenses that appeared to be entering his accounts...and the rest is, as they say, history.

On April 02 2008, amid the growing controversy over his evidence and explainations for these lodgements, Mr Ahern resigned as Taoiseach.

One wonders, what if Pee had never appeared that night on the Late Late?

[corkman2007]

Or if Ben Dunne hadn't got coked off his head in Florida one night?

[toxic avenger]

Well, Gilmartin was and wasn't co-operating. He was sceptical about the Tribunal, thought at first it would be a whitewash, but gradually accepted its bona fides. He fed them information but didn't intend leaving England to become involved in a circus. The decision by the Rev Appeals Commissioner, Ahern's brother-in-law, to reduce Haughey's tax liability to zero convinced him it was pointless to testify and he pulled out. A month later Flynn went on the Late Late and Gilmartin changed his mind for good. But the real catalyst for his involvement was much earlier, according to what I read in the transcripts, which was Dunlop putting out bull************************ stories about him in the press to try and discredit him, Dunlop knowing that Gilmartin would expose him. Which he did.

[stanley]

Bertie's meetings with Flynn must be something else particularly if he views the LL appearance as the catalyst for all his troubles but Flynn must have the goods on Bertie otherwise why is Bev entertained.

[Gaonayu]

has probably been posted before, but was just watching this again. Really stunning. Amazing that this guy was our commissioner.....twice

Padraig Flynn on the Late Late Show

[flavirostris]

car crash tv.. talk about a thick-necked gombeen man, what must they have made of that guy in Brussels.

[Greener]

car crash tv.. talk about a thick-necked gombeen man, what must they have made of that guy in Brussels.

Sure he was part of the infamous Santer Commission. Says it all in fact !

[Digout]

has probably been posted before, but was just watching this again. Really stunning. Amazing that this guy was our commissioner.....twice

Padraig Flynn on the Late Late Show

Nothing has changed in FF.

[DCon]

Well, Gilmartin was and wasn't co-operating. He was sceptical about the Tribunal, thought at first it would be a whitewash, but gradually accepted its bona fides. He fed them information but didn't intend leaving England to become involved in a circus. The decision by the Rev Appeals Commissioner, Ahern's brother-in-law, to reduce Haughey's tax liability to zero convinced him it was pointless to testify and he pulled out. A month later Flynn went on the Late Late and Gilmartin changed his mind for good. But the real catalyst for his involvement was much earlier, according to what I read in the transcripts, which was Dunlop putting out **************************************** stories about him in the press to try and discredit him, Dunlop knowing that Gilmartin would expose him. Which he did.

More fool him. Look at the jail sentence Bertie got, and all the positive actions that have resulted from the Tribunal....

[Mitsui]

Accounts of that great appearance almost invariably focus - for obvious and very good reasons - on the effect it had on Gilmartin & thereby on Flynn, Dunlop etc.

But what I remember most at the time was the immediate effect it had on Flynn's reputation in public eyes domestically.

I remember watching that show while we were visiting my mum (which was by that stage the only time I saw it). I sat with my jaw dropping and bloodpressure rising as Flynn looked smirkingly for sympathy for the number of households he had to keep up, etc, and I thought to myself "This bustard is completely out of touch. He really hasn't a clue of what a smug, smarmy git he sounds like."

And then I realised that all over Ireland there were people sitting watching it whose jaws were also dropping and whose bloodpressure was also rising, and who were thinking exactly the same thing that I was, and I felt a whole lot better.