Documents show Lenihan forced to accept bailout

The late finance minister, Brian Lenihan, resisted pressure to accept a bailout until the final minute and hinted he did so because of pressure from the ECB.

Newly available documents show the minister formally conceded to the ECB that Ireland would apply for a bailout on Sunday, Nov 21 — the day before the government officially entered talks with the troika to agree a deal.

The acceptance is made in a letter from Mr Lenihan in reply to correspondence he had received from the president of the ECB, Jean-Claude Trichet, two days earlier, on Nov 19. Mr Trichet’s letter has not been publicly released, but there are hints in Mr Lenihan’s response that it bounced Ireland into taking the bailout.