The sequence of events leading up to the offences can be traced back to a meeting in a Navan hotel in September 2007 involving Ireland’s then richest man and two Anglo Irish Bank directors.

The trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank executives has heard there was “a hotline” between the bank and the Financial Regulator about the allegedly illegal Maple Ten deal.

The Anglo trial has heard the Financial Regulator was made aware of the names of the so-called Maple Ten before an allegedly illegal loans for shares deal was completed.

Three former directors of Anglo Irish Bank have given evidence that they instructed the bank’s CEO to immediately inform the financial regulator that Sean Quinn controlled 25% of their shares.

Pat Neary, the former Financial Regulator has described the disclosure in March 2008 of Sean Quinn's large stake in Anglo Irish Bank as 'very worrying'.

The jury in the trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank executives over the alleged unlawful provision of loans for the purchase of shares has been told that it is making legal history.

The 11-minute recording is of a telephone conversation between two senior members of Anglo’s management, John Bowe, head of capital markets, and Peter Fitzgerald, director of retail banking, on Sept 18, 2008.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen tonight insisted he stood by a €440bn State guarantee given to Irish banks at the height of the global financial crisis.

IT is difficult to reconcile the great bile-fest generated by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn’s pension with the rabbits-in-the-headlights acceptance that we can do nothing to claw back some of the truly incredible retirement packages enjoyed by those whose fingerprints are all over the corpse of Ireland’s economy.

THE failure of the Financial Regulator to ensure sound financial services is to blame for homeowners being in negative equity, shareholders losing out and pension funds diving, according to a consumer watchdog.

THE glow of optimism, determination and possibility encouraged by Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s welcome speech last week has not lasted too long. How could it

IT is increasingly difficult to remain composed, or to even want to, as the behaviour of a voracious, immoral and appalling coterie of bankers forces our government to take another do-or-die gamble with taxpayers’ funds.