Thieves of Tara
Chicago Architect, and long-time campaigner on behalf of preservation of the Hill of Tara, Richard Wallace recently posted the following reports and extracts from the Irish Government's FLOOD / Mahon Tribunal into corruption

Note: The Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal in honor of its chairman, and previously as the Flood Tribunal, was established by the Irish Government on November 4, 1997. Its chairman is His Honour Judge Alan P. Mahon and other Members are Her Honour Judge Mary Faherty and His Honour Judge Gerald Keys. Its work is ongoing. The original Chairman, who was the sole Member until soon before his retirement, was His Honour Judge Feargus Flood.
Further details on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahon_Tribunal

Richard Wallace asks, "What started the FLOOD TRIBUNAL?"
THIS STARTED THE FLOOD TRIBUNAL - Reward for Information
RICHARD B WALLACE
Wed Nov 14, 2008

Thieves of Tara Documentation
"- On the 3rd July 1995, a notice appeared in two Irish daily newspapers offering a £10,000 reward to persons providing information leading to the conviction of persons involved in corruption in connection with the planning process. Donnelly Neary Donnelly, Solicitors of Newry, Co. Down, placed this notice on behalf of unnamed clients. This notice was the subject of much public comment at the time of its insertion, and subsequently, both in the print media and in Dail Eireann."

1. Excerpt from The Flood Tribunal Report Page 2
"- On the 31st March 1996, the Sunday Business Post published an article by a journalist, Mr. Frank Connolly, under the heading, “Fianna Fáil Politician paid off by Developers.”
It was stated that a serving Fianna Fáil T.D. had been accused of receiving payments from property developers in Dublin in return for securing planning permission for housing. The article stated that an individual had claimed to the Newry Solicitors, Donnelly Neary Donnelly that, in 1989, he personally gave the politician, who was also a local councillor, cash and cheques worth £40,000 on one occasion and was present when a property developer handed over an equivalent amount. This person claimed that the money was in return for the promised rezoning of almost 1000 acres of land and was to cover payment for a number of named councillors who would support specific rezoning motions."

2. Excerpt from The Flood Tribunal Report Page 2
“- On the 7th April 1996, in an article written by the same journalist in the Sunday Business Post it was stated that a former company executive had alleged that he was present in June, 1989 when £40,000 was handed to the politician by a director of his company, and that a further £40,000 was paid over by a property developer just days before a General Election.
It was stated that the payment was in return for the promised rezoning of hundreds of acres of land in Dublin , which were owned by the company. It was stated that present at that meeting, in the politician’s home, were the three directors of the company, including the man who made the allegations, the property developer, and the politician, according to the former executive who, it was stated, had said that he was prepared to restate his allegations in open court. It was stated that his understanding was that the rezoning would be achieved over a period of years at a cost to the developers of £1,000 per acre in payoffs. It was stated that the developer who organised the meeting indicated that the politician was anxious to get money urgently to cover election costs. It was stated that the payments were partly intended to cover the payment to other named councillors who would support rezoning of motions.”

3. Excerpt from The Flood Tribunal Report Page 2
Thus began the unraveling of the Thieves of Tara, Joseph Murphy Jr. Owns JMSE Company & Newland Properties. Frank Reynolds owns Newland Properties with Mr. Murphy Cathal McCarthy, and Gerry Duignan of Duignan & McCarthy , all Financial backers of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrates.

It was not until 20 July 1997 that the Sunday Tribune, in an article by Mr. Matt Cooper, named Mr. Ray Burke T.D. as the person who received corruption payments on behalf of a property development company.

In an article in the Sunday Business Post on 27 July 1997, written by Mr. Frank Connelly, Michael Bailey of Bovale Developments Ltd., stated that he was present in Mr. Burke’s home when a someone from Joseph Murphy Structural Engineers Ltd., (JMSE) handed a large sum of money “in bundles” to Mr. Burke.

Again in 10 August 1997, the Sunday Business Post published and article, again written by Mr. Fank Connelly, in which it stated that Mr. Bailey said that Mr. Joseph Murphy “…handed over the envelope containing the JMSE money to Mr. Burke…”.

More details:

“-On the 25th September 1997, Magill Magazine published an article written by Mr. John Ryan which quoted part of the contents of a letter which had been written by Mr. Michael Bailey to Mr. James Gogarty on the 8th June 1989, in which Mr. Bailey stated that he would have to be offered a 50% stake in the Murphy lands in exchange for the procurement of planning permission and Building Bye-Law approval. It was stated that this would involve the procurement of a majority vote of a full Council meeting. The article stated that a few days later Mr. Gogarty and Mr. Bailey went to Mr. Burke’s house and according to Mr. Burke an unsolicited political donation of £30,000 from JMSE was handed over by Mr. Gogarty.”

4. Excerpt from The Flood Tribunal Report Page 3
The Flood Tribunal resulted in 35,000 pages of documentation surrounding the illegal activities of the following men and companies:
Limited, Reliable Construction (Dublin) Limited, Barrett Developments Limited (in Liquidation)

17- 03 Any person, duly summoned to do so, who gives evidence to the Tribunal which is material to its inquiry, which that person willfully knows to be false or does not believe to be true or who by act or omission obstructs or hinders a Tribunal in the performance of its functions, commits a criminal offence.

17-04 There is an obligation upon every witness called to the Tribunal to give a truthful account of the matters upon which they are questioned, and failure to do so can amount to a failure to cooperate with the Tribunal, which can have serious consequences both as regards costs, and otherwise. In its review of the evidence proffered to the Tribunal in the modules in which the Tribunal has heard evidence to date, the Tribunal has concluded that the following persons and corporate entities have hindered, obstructed or not cooperated with the Tribunal to the extent set out hereunder. The findings made against Mr. Joseph Murphy Snr and Mr. Joseph Murphy Jnr. apply pari passu to the companies within the Murphy Group to whom legal representation was granted including Joseph Murphy Structural Engineers Limited, Lajos Holdings Limited, The Grafton Construction Company), Turvey Estates Limited, Finglas Industrial Developments Limited (in Liquidation), Helmdale Limited ( in Liquidation), Gaiety Stage Production Limited, Gaiety Theatre (Dublin) Limited, Finglas Industrial Estates Limited and Wexburn Limited. The findings made against Mr. Michael Bailey, Mr. Tom Bailey and Mrs. Caroline Bailey apply equally to Bovale Developments Limited.

5. Page 141-142 Flood Tribunal Report
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The entire Flood Tribunal was centered on the corrupt politicians who were extorting money out of the above groups of developers "...in return for the promised rezoning of almost 1000 acres of land and was to cover payment for a number of named councilors who would support specific rezoning motions."

The Thieves of Tara were named and convicted, yet they are again involved in the controversial M3 and the seemingly unrepentant politicians who refuse to listen to reason and the logical re-routing of the M3 to a shorter, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly route that can be irrefutably proven to be in the best interests of the Irish people. These politicians, who are, in effect, acting in the best interests of the convicted developers of the Flood Tribunal, appear to have hidden agendas. The convicted property developers named in the Flood Tribunal Report are actively swooping up large tracts of land along the route of the M3, including 200 acres at the coveted interchange at the Hill of Tara, owned by shopping center developer, Cathal McCarthy, a business associate of Joseph Murphy Jr, who owns even more hundreds of acres along the route of the M3.

Which brings up the questions of how did these convicted property developers get their hands on more State-owned land? Who at Coillte Teoranta has the authority to sell State owned property to men who have been convicted of criminal offenses against the State. Who is approving the secret sale thousands of acres of land unbeknownst to the people who live in the Valley? Who is behind this apparent government-asset land grab?

“Coillte Teoranta from Irish or The Irish Forestry Board Limited is a state-sponsored company of the Republic of Ireland that gives money grants to people who are wishing to plant forestry on their land and manages the forests owned by the Irish Government.

In 1988 the company was established and it is owned by the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the Minister for Finance on behalf of the Irish Government; the company employs approximately 1,000 people and has three subsidiaries. The Coillte estate is 4,450 square kilometres of which 79% is forest; it owns 70% of forests in the state.”
6. Wikipedia

What corruption will be unveiled if a secret donor offers up another cash reward to “persons providing information leading to the conviction of person involved in corruption in connection”, with the sale of Irish public lands to developers who have been convicted of criminal offenses against the state.

SUMMARY / CONCLUSIONS

Page 138 Flood Tribunal Report
Chapter 16
Summary of Conclusions
BRIARGATE

16-01 Mr. Burke did not purchase his home at Briargate Malahide Swords from Oakpark Developments Limited in 1973 in a normal commercial transaction.
16-02 The consideration (if any) passing between Mr. Burke and the directors of Oakpark Developments Limited, Mr. Tom Brennan and Mr. Jack Foley, for the dwelling house and lands at Briargate did not represent the open market value of the property.
16-03 The assignment of Briargate by Oakpark Developments Limited to Mr. Burke conferred a substantial benefit upon him which in the opinion of the Tribunal was given in order to ensure that he would act in the best interests of Oakpark Developments Limited/'s director, Mr. Tom Brennan and his associates when performing his public duties as a member of Dublin County Council and a member of Dail Eireann.
16-04 The Tribunal has been unable to discover what actions Mr. Burke performed for Mr. Tom Brennan or his associates in return for the benefit provided to him. It is the opinion of the Tribunal and the Tribunal concludes that the benefit which was conferred upon Mr. Burke was conferred in circumstances which gave rise to a reasonable inference that the motives for making and receiving this benefit were connected with the public office held by Mr. Burke.
16-05 In the opinion of the Tribunal the transfer of Briargate to Mr. Burke amounted to a corrupt payment to him from Mr. Tom Brennan and his associates.

OFFSHORE BANK ACCOUNTS

16-06 The accounts opened for Mr. Burke at AIB Bank (Isle of Man) Limited in the name of
Mr. P. D. Burke in 1982, and at Hill Samuel & Company (Jersey) Limited in the name of Caviar Limited in 1984, were opened in order to receive payments from Mr. Tom Brennan and his associates, which were not the proceeds of political fundraising activities or political donations from Mr. Tom Brennan, but were payments made to Mr. Burke in order to ensure that he would continue to act in the best interests of those who had paid him when performing his public duties as a member of Dublin County Council, and as a member of Dail Eireann.
16-07 The payment of stg. € ¦£50,000 by Kalabraki Limited to the account of Mr. P. D. Burke at AIB Bank (Isle of Man) Limited on the 21st of December 1982 was a corrupt payment made by Mr. Tom Brennan to Mr. Burke.
16-08 The payment of stg. € ¦£35,000 to the account of Caviar Limited at Hill Samuel & Company (Jersey) Limited per Allied Irish Bank on the 19th of April 1984 was a corrupt payment to Mr. Burke probably made by Mr. Tom Brennan and his associates.
16-09 The payment of stg. € ¦£60,000 to the account of Caviar Limited by Canio Limited on the 21st of November 1984 was a corrupt payment to Mr. Burke which was funded to an amount of stg € ¦£25,000 each by Mr. Tom Brennan and Mr. Joseph McGowan, and to an amount of stg € ¦£10,000 by Mr. John Finnegan.