Colin Murphy has been back raking over the coals of the banking crisis, with his latest play, Bailed Out, in effect, the sequel to Guaranteed, the story of how Ireland toppled into insolvency.

Why was Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s evidence to the banking enquiry not given prior to Jean-Claude Trichet’s visit? It confirms the belief that Ireland was coerced by the ECB into breaking one of capitalism’s basic laws: bankruptcy.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan was minutes away from announcing a crucial plan to burn bondholders to the Dáil in March 2011 before then ECB president Jean Claude Trichet phoned him to insist he drop the measure.

FINANCE Minister Michael Noonan and a former IMF deputy director Ajai Chopra yesterday confirmed what has been widely believed for many years — that “advice” offered by the European Central Bank to Ireland as our banks stumbled towards collapse was a thinly-disguised, take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum.

The European Central Bank has pulled out of any involvement in the bank inquiry after public claims its comments could be used as evidence instead of an “informal exchange of views” — and private fears any participation could see it dragged before Greek politicians at a later date.

The declaration by David Drumm, former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank that he would deliberate to the banking inquiry by video link is an outrageous display of condescension and disrespect toward the Irish public and a mischievous instance of self-serving manipulation.

The Government did not know what it was doing when it tried to shore up the banks in 2008, as it thought the banks just needed money when in fact they were broke, a study by the European Commission says.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen gave his version of the September 2008 bank guarantee and November 2010 bailout crises. This is an abridged version:

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen is expected this week to back previous suggestions that Ireland was “bounced” into a bailout.

Where was Johnny Logan when his country needed him most, asks Michael Clifford.

The former head of the Department of Finance has said it was made clear to the Government the ECB would “not be happy” if senior bondholders were burnt.

Then taoiseach Brian Cowen set up a “secret” group to examine a possible bank guarantee months before it happened — and as bankers and billionaires were actively lobbying for the move.

Trickles of information are beginning to paint the picture of the causes of our enforced austerity which will be with us for generations to come. Just so we don’t forget: €200 billion in unsustainable debt with over €10 billion in interest payments alone year after year).

IRELAND’S member of the European Court of Auditors Kevin Cardiff was in charge of the Department of Finance unit that had oversight of banks on that fateful, generation-defining and expensive night — September 29th/30th 2008, “guarantee night” as it has become known.

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen “already had a preference” for a “broad” bank guarantee before the infamous September 29, 2008, meeting which led to the multi-billion euro deal — and overruled then finance minister Brian Lenihan’s concerns.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has insisted that the European Central Bank had a very strong role in telling Ireland not to burn the bondholders.

THE haughty arrogance of Jean Claude Trichet, who last week snubbed Ireland’s banking inquiry and insisted that Oireachtas members attend upon him at his venue of choice, is trumped only by his gross insensitivity to the memory of the former finance minister, the late Brian Lenihan.

The family of Brian Lenihan say his name has been “sullied” by comments made by former European Central Bank president Jean Claude Trichet about events leading up the infamous bank guarantee.

The departure of Patrick Honohan from the Central Bank caps a week where the Irish public saw the true reality of central bank independence.

The Oireachtas banking inquiry did not sit in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham yesterday. It did not hear from a witness by the name of Jean Claude Trichet, the former head of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Trichet already knows the questions he will be asked.

The mystery over why Anglo and Irish Nationwide were included in the blanket bank guarantee deepened after another senior banker said yesterday that he advised the Government not to include the stricken firms in the deal.

Further evidence of how the ECB interfered in eurozone countries’ economies, including Ireland’s, has been revealed by former ECB president Jean Claude Trichet.

The Oireachtas banking inquiry may be blocked from questioning Anglo Irish Bank’s auditor during the Celtic Tiger boom because of Seán FitzPatrick’s imminent trial.

The European Central Bank faces criticism over its denigration of employment and social rights during the ongoing austerity drive, says Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill

Senior European Central Bank officials, including ex-ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet, are set to meet with the banking inquiry in a “neutral” Dublin location this spring to discuss their role in Ireland’s economic crash.

Banking inquiry chairman Ciarán Lynch will today meet Patrick Honohan, the governor of the Central Bank, for talks about how the European Central Bank’s role in the economic crisis can be investigated.

So the ECB has finally made its move. Mario Draghi has “done what it takes”, writes By Kyran FitzGerald. 

The former head of the ECB has indicated he will co-operate with the banking inquiry but stopped short of committing to attend the probe’s hearings in Leinster House.

The Oireachtas banking inquiry officially begins its public hearings this morning - after the news overnight that no member of the European Central Bank will appear before it.

The Oireachtas Banking Inquiry has been dealt a huge blow - the night before it's due to begin public hearings.

Dr Geraldine Mooney-Simmie is not right when she says the bankrupting of this country was of ‘Europe’s making’ and that Trichet’s letter is ‘an issue of human and moral rights’ (Letters, November 14).

The ECB pushed Ireland towards a bailout because it potentially threatened the entire euro system and the Irish authorities asked for it, ECB president Mario Draghi said.

It was a busy week on the business and political news front.

The tone of the European Central Bank’s letter that was sent to Brian Lenihan is hardly surprising. What is surprising is that the ECB is going beyond its mandate of monetary policy to interfere in the fiscal policy of a sovereign nation.

I am somewhat surprised that there is any surprise at the content of the letter that the then president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, sent to Brian Lenihan on November 19, 2010.

ECB president Mario Draghi said his bank did not force the Government into a bailout in November 2010.

The ECB has given a cool response to suggestions its officials should appear before the Oireachtas banking inquiry, whose members believe fresh questions have been raised with the release of correspondence from the height of the eurozone crisis.

Letters tell us more about the bailout story, writes Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill

Fianna Fáil has admitted it should not have allowed itself to be "threatened" by the ECB in the run up to the €67.5bn EU/IMF bailout in November 2010.

After three years of asking, the famous Trichet letter finally saw the light of day, write Gavin Sheridan and Fred Logue.

Fianna Fáil has said that the ECB were wrong to force Ireland into a bailout.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he will not be advising the Oireachtas Banking Inquiry on how to conduct its investigations.

The chairman of the planned banking inquiry, Ciarán Lynch, has said it is "disappointing" that former ECB president Jean Claude Trichet has made public statements that he would not be giving evidence at the hearings.