With the financial fate of the state’s most speculative asset, the Irish National Stud, strapped to a sinking economy, the two people best placed to turn business around could no longer work together after their affair ended with allegations of bullying, mistreatment and attempted suicide, writes Conor Ryan.

THE controversial semi-state company, the Irish National Stud (INS), continued to lose money last year while at the same time increasing the level of business it was involved in with members of its Government-appointed boardroom.

ONE of the most expensive aspects of the controversial clean-up organised for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in May has been revealed as the loss of a lucrative horse living at the National Stud.

THE Irish National Stud (INS) has conceded it must tighten up rules on the conduct of its key personnel in inside deals involving its stallions.

THE Irish National Stud has defended the expenses bills for its seven-member board of directors which totalled €85,397 between 2001 and 2009.

THE former chief executive of the Irish National Stud (INS) John Clarke was responsible for 60% of staff travel expenses’ claims for the company in 2008.

AN internal Irish National Stud audit found its former chief executive John Clarke accounted for 60% of the total staff travel expenses bill for most of 2008.

THE Irish National Stud has tried to explain away the origins of €719,000 worth of un-tendered business deals between it and its key personnel.

BOARD members of the Irish National Stud and chairwoman Chryss O’Reilly are in a battle to retain their prestigious positions.

AGRICULTURE Minister Brendan Smith has been told to shake up the board of the Irish National Stud by the chair of the Dáil’s spending watchdog, who said the company was run like “Fás on overdrive”.

BUSINESS deals at the Irish National Stud (INS) worth €718,000 were not put to competitive tender and were awarded to firms run by some of its key personnel.

THREE senior figures in the Irish National Stud received €2.9 million for their share-holding in a prized stallion in which the Government-owned company was the biggest shareholder.

THE man who investigated bullying and harassment allegations at University College Cork has been appointed to help run the embattled Irish National Stud (INS) on a temporary basis.

AN investigation into the entire business operations of the Irish National Stud has been called for in the wake of revelations of high-level bullying at the company.

SEVEN executives in Waterford Wedgwood pocketed €10.2 million in salaries and bonuses last year while close to 2,000 staff got the axe worldwide - including 500 people in Waterford.

THE Portmarnock golf and hotel resort in Dublin is to undergo a multi-million euro expansion.