Jailing of Seán Quinn

The sight of Seán Quinn of being driven away to jail in a Garda van yesterday sends some stark messages. Although now bankrupt, he was once Ireland’s richest man.

Despite the articulate protestations on his behalf and his own strong insistence of innocence on the charge of contempt of court, Quinn, a 66-year-old grandfather, was yesterday sentenced to nine weeks in jail. The judge insisted that his possible release on compassionate grounds to attend the Christening of his grandchild on the Saturday before Christmas would be an issue for the prison authorities.

There are always people who delight in the fall or the misfortune of others, especially the once rich and famous. Such poisonous resentment has no place in a compassionate society. Nobody should take any pleasure from Quinn’s misfortune.

He undoubtedly did a lot of good for many people, but this did not provide a licence to do wrong. He was found guilty of an outrageous contempt of court. The verdict “obviously speaks for itself”, according to Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

There is a salutary message for all involved in the banking inquiries. “The banks have an awful lot to answer for,” Martin McGuinness, the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, remarked.

Indeed, let’s hope we get the answers.