Tom Gilmartin

A successful property developer in England, the Sligo-born Tom Gilmartin had ambitious plans for major retail developments in Dublin in the late 1980s. Little did he know that in order to do business in the city, senior politicians and public officials would want a slice of the action ... in the form of large amounts of cash. Gilmartin blew the whistle on corruption at the heart of government and the city's planning system, and the fallout from his claims ultimately led to the resignation of the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2008. Written by Ireland's leading investigative journalists, Tom Gilmartin is a compelling narrative of official wrong-doing and abuse of office; it lifts the lid on the corruption and financial mismanagement that blighted Irish society in latter decades of the twentieth century. The product of two decades' research, it's a must-read for anyone seeking to uncover the roots of Ireland's financial catastrophe.

What If? is an entertaining, thoughtful, provocative and original look at some of the milestones of twentieth century Irish history that offers a glimpse of what might have been. We all know that there was nothing inevitable about much of modern Ireland's history. Things could have turned out very differently, so it is natural to wonder what would have happened if certain events had never occurred or happened in a different way. What If? is the thought-provoking, enjoyable and insightful book that explores this conceit as its starting point, asking of key events in twentieth-century Ireland: 'what if?' Based on Diarmaid Ferriter's acclaimed RTÉ Radio One series, the book looks at twenty events in twentieth-century Ireland, each of which was discussed on Ferriter's show with two experts, and speculates on how things might have developed had circumstances been different. In doing so, Ferriter also sheds much new light on what actually did happen, how Ireland changed during the course of the twentieth century and the experiences of those who lived through it. The big questions are tackled: what if there had been no 1916 Rising? What if Ireland had been invaded during World War II? What if there had been no programmes for economic expansion? What if Mary Robinson had not been elected president in 1990? But the book also poses other, less obvious, questions: what if James Joyce and Samuel Beckett had stayed in Ireland; if Britain had blocked Irish immigration in the 1950s; if there had been no Late Late Show or Magill magazine; if Bishop Eamon Casey had never met Annie Murphy; or if John Charles McQuaid had never been Archbishop of Dublin? What If? Alternative Views of Twentieth-Century Ireland: Table of Contents Introduction - What if there had been no Late Late Show? - What if there had been no pro-life amendment referendum in 1983? - What if there had been no Magill magazine? - What if John Charles McQuaid had not been appointed Archbishop of Dublin in 1940? - What if Ben Dunne had not gone on a golfing trip to Florida in 1992? - What if Bishop Eamon Casey's secret had not been discovered? - What if there had been no 1916 Rising? - What if the Treaty ports had not been returned in 1938? - What if the Blueshirts had attempted a coup in 1933? - What if de Valera had stood down as leader of Fianna Fáil in 1948 instead of 1959? - What if Donogh O'Malley had not introduced free secondary education in 1967? - What if the Irish Press had not closed down in 1995? - What if James Joyce and Samuel Beckett had stayed in Ireland? - What if Frank Duff had not established the Legion of Mary in 1921? - What if the Jim Duffy tape had not been released during the 1990 presidential election? - What if Proportional Representation had been abolished in 1959 or 1968? - What if T. K. Whitaker had not been appointed Secretary of the Department of Finance in 1956? - What if the members of U2 had gone to different schools in the 1970s? - What if Britain had imposed restrictions on Irish immigration in the 1950s? - What if Noël Browne had not been involved in Irish politics?

When Bertie Ahern resigned on May 6th 2008 after 11 years as Irish Taoiseach and more than thirty years all told in the corridors of power, it was as a direct result of the fall-out that occurred from the treatment meted out to Irish businessman, Tom Gilmartin, which only emerged in its entirety at the conclusion of the Mahon Tribunal, which had sat for almost 15 years before reaching its conclusions in 2012. Tom Gilmartin had emigrated to Luton in the 1950's from Sligo, and over the years had built up a successful business in construction and engineering, in Luton and South East England. Now a multi millionaire he decided in the late 1980's to invest his experience - and money - in some projects in Dublin, where unemployment was high, and where poverty had once again seen many young Irish people cross the water in the hope of a better life. Tom had ambitious plans for several major retail developments in the city, which he hoped would provide work for hundreds, if not thousands, in the city, but little did he know that in order to do business in Dublin, senior politicians and public officials would want a slice of the action - in large amounts of cash. Embittered and impoverished by his experiences, Tom finally blew the whistle on the corruption at the heart of government and the city's planning system. His complaints resulted in the setting up in 1997, by order of the Oireachtas, of the Mahon Tribunal to look into 'certain planning matters and payments'. Ironically, it was championed by none other than one Bertie Ahern.

In the past fifteen years, Ireland has gone from being one of the poorest countries in the EU to one of the richest in the world. Of all the factors in this extraordinary transformation, none has been more prominent than the astonishing boom in construction. In The Builders, Frank McDonald and Kathy Sheridan tell the stories of these men and of the changes - physical and psychological - they have brought about. The story of Ireland's property developers has been the great untold story of the boom - until now. 'Essential reading' Sunday Business Post

Inspired by the book Stasiland, this work is an attempt to see if some of the state practices that flourished in Communist Eastern Europe might be replicated in modern Ireland. It goes into the question of intelligence agencies, what agencies are active in Ireland, how they harass dissidents, their use of modern technology and their role in secretly supporting paramilitary groups in Ireland and around the world. It includes a lot of first hand testimony of state harassment, and even torture, which is on a par with what happened in countries like East Germany. Finally it concludes with some searching questions about the real government policies being pursued in Ireland.

Untangle the financial history of Charlie Haughey, Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil, in Haughey's Millions, the must-read, bestselling exposé of one of Ireland's most controversial politicians Colm Keena, acclaimed Irish Times investigative journalist, examines the extraordinary career of Charlie 'the Boss' Haughey, the backbench TD who became Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and left a financial legacy that lingered long after his retirement from political life. As a politician, Haughey made a huge contribution to Irish life: he played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process and he laid the foundations for the prosperity that arrived with the Celtic Tiger. But Haughey's Millions does not deal with Haughey's political history; instead Keena uncovers the subject that Haughey most wanted to avoid and you'll most want to read: the truth about his money. From elections to tribunal appearances, Haughey dominated the Irish political landscape from the '60s to the '90s and always lived visibly beyond his means. From his princely accommodation in Kinsealy to his penchant for horses, Haughey's extravagant spending made him look like a rich man on a TD's salary. In Haughey's Millions, Keena traces the origins of Haughey's lavish lifestyle back to the '50s and to his early life as a partner in Haughey, Boland & Co. Moving chronologically forward, Keena looks at Haughey's early involvement with Des Traynor and his developing relationships with property developers and other key entrepreneurs and business figures. Keena's investigations take him up to the Moriarty and McCracken tribunals of the mid-'90s, set up to investigate the alleged financial corruption at the heart of Haughey's infamous political reign. Under the microscope of Keena's investigations, Haughey's financial dealings are revealed. In Haughey's Millions, Keena gives you the whole tangled story of a politician who lived like a prince, from beginning to ignominious end. Haughey's Millions: Table of Contents Introduction Part One: 1925–1987 - A Descendant of Kings - The Tax Commissioner's Residence - The Wilderness Years - Banking Secrets - Horse Dealers and Hoteliers - Helping Ciarán Part Two: 1987–1992 - Back in Business - Tralee Again - A New Disciple - Money for the Boss - Brian Lenihan - Financial Services - Taxing the Taoiseach Part Three: 1992– - Bowing Out Gracefully - Helicopters Again - An Innocent Bystander - Disclosure - Endgame - The Case for the Defence