Quinn the gambler has played his last hand and should leave the table

THE 5,500 employees of the Quinn Group are right to be fearful for the security of their jobs. Their demand for protection is entirely understandable and rational. Sympathy for them is plentiful.

But the idea that the Government should step in to force the Financial Regulator to reverse his entirely correct decision to apply to the court for the appointment of a provisional administrator to run the business is utterly wrong, no matter how much Seán Quinn himself or his employees want that.

The campaign that Quinn employees and supporters have launched is emotional and it must seem persuasive to those not in command of the real facts. The myth of Seán Quinn is a substantial one as can be seen from this representative selection of comments supplied to one website over the past week: