New Sub-Forum - The Irish Oligarchy

**C. Flower** · 28-10-2012, 02:35 PM

There are a number of ultra-wealthy and ultra-connected individuals who are Irish or who have Irish connections and who generate a great deal of interest on this forum.

What is an oligarch ? A person with a lot of money, and a lot of political influence outside the normal democratic routes. Oligarchs tend to operate in more than one state, and to manage their tax affairs deftly.

Given the impact they have on the national economy, it seems like a good idea to have a dedicated sub-forum, so I have opened this one. I'll be adding some existing threads to it and look forward to new ones.

**Frankie Lee** · 28-10-2012, 06:06 PM

Good idea, The Glackin Report would be a good example of our oligarchy getting caught with their pants down.

**C. Flower** · 28-10-2012, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Frankie Lee

Good idea, The Glackin Report would be a good example of our oligarchy getting caught with their pants down.

Go right ahead, christen the forum and start a thread on it...

**The Moth** · 28-10-2012, 11:33 PM

Peter Sutherland, John Bruton, DOB, Lesley Buckley, JP, Bill Clinton?

**Captain Con O'Sullivan** · 29-10-2012, 06:40 AM

I've looked at this thread a couple of times and to be honest wouldn't even know where to start. I'd be tempted to make the point that there are a sub-group of about 30-50 families and about 300-500 people in Ireland who constitute a political oligarchy in that they are either enriching themselves with impunity from the society around them or serving directly the well known oligarchs with actions or failure to act which excludes the rest of the population.

Many of these people are in establishment roles and their own advancement is entirely dependent on how well they serve the oligarchy- state offices in the legal environment, Ministers, civil servants, the general tribe of obsequious camp followers of the 'wealth creators' a number of whom don't even bother to pay tax in Ireland yet somehow feel they have the right to sponsor reports on how the country should be run.

These people have access and assume rights they shouldn't have and are kowtowed to by the camp followers in the Irish establishment. Essentially Ireland is like Greece. It is very amusing to watch, annually, the announcement that Ireland has a very clean bill of health in terms of corruption and transparency when the last five years alone should be an education in exactly the opposite for the population at large.

It is why I sometimes refer to Ireland as a 'Tir Na N'og' society. As long as there is the surface appearance of an equitable normality then that must be alright. Part of the Irish character I think- the 'official' news and the reality squirming away at the corner of one's eye.

**C. Flower** · 29-10-2012, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by The Moth

Peter Sutherland, John Bruton, DOB, Lesley Buckley, JP, Bill Clinton?

Dermot Desmond...

**DCon** · 29-10-2012, 09:37 AM

Is Sean Quinn a former Oligarch?

Smurfit? O'Reilly?

**Captain Con O'Sullivan** · 29-10-2012, 09:38 AM

I recall a report being worked up in 2008 ( I think) by a number of what I would call oligarchs detailing their vision of what policy should be- unremarkably a vision of low regulation trickle down economics which has us 'where we are' in the first place. The people who were behind that would make a decent list.

Trying to remember what it was called...

**C. Flower** · 29-10-2012, 11:31 AM

Not sure about Lochlain Quinn.

**DCon** · 30-10-2012, 07:41 AM

JP threw a bash and invited the FF/Peedee lackies, and the current Finance Minister

THE economic recession and the country's woes were suspended for more than 1,600 people last night as billionaire JP McManus threw a lavish party to celebrate the success of two of his racehorses -- including one that died last April.

The top brass of previous Fianna Fail-led governments, including Bertie Ahern, Mary Harney and Charlie McCreevy, made their way to the billionaire's expansive estate in south Limerick last night for the celebration.

With the Taoiseach declaring his ministers to be tired from their months of work and the Dail in recess, Finance Minister Michael Noonan was able to relax in the company of former soccer stars Niall Quinn and Alan Hansen.

Other politicians present included former Defence Minister Willie O'Dea, Independent TD Michael Lowry

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...y-3182672.html