Banker ‘surprised’ at £10,000 donation

PROPERTY developer Owen O’Callaghan probably gave an innocuous explanation when asked about a IR£10,000 political donation to Dublin county councillor Colm McGrath (FF) in October 1991, the Mahon Tribunal heard yesterday.

Former AIB senior manager Eddie Kay said he would have remembered if Mr O’Callaghan had told him the politician’s name and he had learned of the payment with “surprise”.

Answering Judge Gerald Keys, Mr Kay said political donations were never mentioned or envisaged in connection with costs associated with the Quarryvale project in west Dublin. The bank had never discussed with either Mr O’Callaghan or fellow developer Tom Gilmartin the extent of lobbying to be carried out, but was aware Mr O’Callaghan was a quite prominent Fianna Fáil supporter.