Ex-billionaire Quinn: ‘I’m a simple farmer’s son’

Bankrupt businessman Sean Quinn told a High Court judge he was “a simple farmer’s son”.

The man who once ran an empire was representing himself when a case involving the Quinn family came to the Commercial Court.

Mr Quinn appeared before the court for the first time yesterday looking for permission to defend claims by Anglo Irish Bank that he has liability for some or all of €2.34bn loans made to various Quinn companies.

The bank has joined Mr Quinn and two former Quinn Group executives as third parties to the action against it by Patricia Quinn and her five children denying liability for the €2.34bn loans on grounds including they were allegedly made for the unlawful purpose of propping up the bank’s share price.

The bank has denied such claims and has joined Mr Quinn, Dara O’Reilly, chief executive of Quinn Group (NI) Ltd, and Liam McCaffrey, former Quinn group finance director, as third parties for the purposes of claiming indemnity against them should the family succeed.