6 | BUSINESS Sunday Independent 10 February 2019

What’s your best piece of businessadvice?Sometimes people, when they becomeleaders in anything, whether it’s leadinga team, whether it’s leading a business,whether it’s leading a country, no matterwhat it is, I think sometimes people can fallinto the trap of believing that they shouldknow everything. I think with that comes ahuge risk.

What are the big trends in pet food?Some of the things we’re producing now, I’dsay my dad would have sent for the lads instraitjackets if he thought we were going tobe doing it. Things like hypoallergenic food,natural/free-from, even vegan pet food.

BUSINESS LESSONS

NamePhilip Reynolds

Age54

PositionFormer CEO of C&D Foods

LivesMullingar, Co Westmeath

EducationRoscrea College and IrishManagement Institute

Previous experienceLifetime working in C&DFoods

FamilyMarried to Anne. ChildrenRobert (27), Stephanie (25)and Mark (21)

PastimesI walk and swim and ride outand play golf badly. I also loveto travel

Favourite filmThe Green Mile and amcurrently watching Suits

CURRICULUMVITAE

worthstown for our summer job in C&D. And atthat stage it would be everything from offloadingraw materials, hand loading containers for theUK, working on labelling lines, whatever it was,we would do it.”Upon leaving school, he had settled onworking

in the business but his father was adamant that heget a third-level eduction. However, a new factorywas being built and they both agreed that theyoung Reynolds should see that process firsthandthen go on to college before returning to C&D.“But I went in there in ‘82 and events took over

for him because then he ended up being aministerin 1982 and then his career took him completelyaway from C&D and I was in there. The fact thathe was so far removed from it, having run ithimself from 1969, I think he felt it was nice tohave a member of the family there, even thoughthe member of the family was 18 years of age orwhatever I was.”In the end, Reynolds never left the business and

ended up completing his third level qualificationat weekends through IMI.In 1990 and at the age of 26, Reynolds had just

got married but when returning from his honey-moon was surprised to be greeted at the airportby the company sales manager Liam Feeley. Thebig news at the company was that the CEO hadresigned and that Reynolds was being consideredas his successor.“I said: ‘Liam, hold on aminute here, now, I’m

26 years of age, I’ve just gotmarried, I’ve plannedout my next year, I’m going to be at every racemeeting in the country and I have no interestin taking over,’ and he said: ‘well, that’s why I’mhere,’ he said, ‘you have to’.”“I met with dad and he had guys (in the com-

pany) onboardwith him at that stage advising asto what he should do. However it transpired, theydecided that they were going to give me a run atit.” Reynolds is hugely grateful for the support

his senior colleagues gave him when he took thereins at such a young age.Judging by the figures, he was the right choice

for the job.When he took over the business in 1990turnover was €15m and has now hit €500m. Thebusiness has acted as a consolidator, as Reynoldsenvisaged, with operations in The Netherlands,Austria, Denmark, Spain, the UK, Italy andGermany.According to Reynolds, the agreement with

Goodmanmeant that his stake would be sold downas ABP invested in the expansion of the compa-ny, assuming that the opportunities outlined byReynolds materialised.“His view was that if the business did grow

to the extent that he would like to consolidate itwith the ABP business and to do that he needed51pc and I said look, you’re not getting it todaybut I totally understand and if my plans are real-ised for how the business can develop and grow,I’ve actually no issue with that, and that’s whathappened.”His stake was diluted to 35pc in 2012 at the

time of a major acquisition.“We did a couple of very, very large acquisitions

and to help finance those large acquisitions Idiluted my shareholding,” he says. “And that’swhere we ultimately ended up now, where I endedup with 15pc.”Under the agreement, there was a put-and-call

option, which meant both parties would reviewthe businesses periodically. “I had always anopportunity to put my shares to ABP and theywould have to buy them, and similarly there wasa time when they could call on my shares and I’dhave to sell them,” said Reynolds.The threat of Brexit triggered a decision by

ABP to buy the remaining shares.“Did I think it was going to be now? Did I

think it was going to be over this issue? No is thehonest answer to that,” said Reynolds.

“Larry and I had the conversation and ouragreement, our understanding coming out of itwas that Brexit is a huge issue. It’s a huge issuefor every business that trades in the UK andwe’reno different in that. We have to be Brexit-readywhatever thatmeans and in whatever formBrexittakes. And he and I agreed that to address thatproperly, it would be only right and fair at thisstage that he would have a blank piece of paper tomake the decisions that are right for the business.And not to have a minority shareholder.”Reynolds also felt it was the right time to leave

his role as CEO of the company.“Larry and I have had a very, very good work-

ing relationship, I’ve nothing but the height ofpraise for him as a partner and as a colleague,”says Reynolds. “Even though Larry would havebeen very, very happy if I had agreed to stay onand continued to run the business — it’s not thatI don’t want to, it’s that I can’t. To me it’s time,it’s the right time forme tomove on. C&D is nowABP. I want it to be seen to be ABP. To me it waseven when I only had 15pc of it, I still felt like itwas 100pc mine and I can’t bring my own headaround to be able to see it any differently.”Reynolds will spend some time indulging one

of his passions, horses, and will make his annualpilgrimage to Cheltenhamnextmonth, assumingit goes ahead. But his face lights up when askedabout the next step in his business life.“I’ve been very fortunate to have the career

I’ve had, the life I’ve had but it has been 37 yearsas Dermot Desmond once told me with my headstuck in a pet food can so maybe it’s time to takeit out of a pet food can now and look elsewhere,”he says. “I have other things that I want to do.And they’re not in the pet food space and beforeyou askme, they’re not in the horse world either.”“I’m young enough still to have another crack

at something and if I make amess of it, well sureit won’t be the end of the world.”

‘It’s time to look beyond a pet food tin’

PHILIPReynolds carries arounda slim, modern black leathersatchel, free from unneces-sary clutter. But one concisedocument is always with him,tucked away inside a folder— ahandwritten agreement from2008 inwhich he agreed to sellhalf of C&D Foods, the familypet food business, to beef baron

Larry Goodman.In a world of long and complex legal agree-

ments, it is notable for its brevity and simplicity.“We talk about a one-pageman. It’s not off the

ground I licked it,” he says, a reference to his latefather, the former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, whofamously sought to have issues distilled down toa single page.On Friday, he finished working for the family

business after selling his last 15pc stake in thecompany to Goodman’s company ABP. Reynoldssays the sale has been an emotional one, albeitone that has been in the making for some time.“I came to termswith the fact that C&Dwas not

going to be ‘Reynolds’ back in 2008 when Larryand I did the deal. And inmymind, it was alwaysa natural progression over time that at some pointI would exit the business.”The initial deal was borne out of a pivotal and

potentially catastrophicmoment in the business,which had originally been established by AlbertReynolds in 1969. In 2006, a fire destroyed the petfood factory in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford.After the devastation, Philip Reynolds, whowas

running the company, began to see opportunity,particularly the potential offered by amove awayfrom canned food to single-serve pouches. Prior tothe fire, the company imported cans from the UKinto Longford where the products were canned,processed, sterilised, packed, labelled and thenshipped directly to the UK or Irish retailers.“I had fairly grandiose plans as to what we

might be able to do and how we could grow thebusiness because up to that point the business wasprimarily an Irish and UK-based business,” saysReynolds. “I had seen how the pet food businesshad changed and I had at that time come to therealisation that a lot of consolidation that need-ed to happen in our business was happening. Ifelt that within all of that, there was going to beopportunity for C&D.”He decided against rebuilding a canning fac-

tory in Edgeworthstown but to invest instead inpouching technology. A €30m investment in thenew plant was covered by the insurance money.The other part of his strategy involved acqusitions.“What we didn’t have at that stage then the

funding to get involved in consolidation, growingthe business and so on,” says Reynolds. “And thereason why ultimately I did a deal with ABP andLarry Goodmanwas because I sold him the ideasthat I had about howwe could consolidate the petfood industry, not just in Ireland and England,but across Europe.”Larry Goodman and Albert Reynolds were

both central figures in the Beef Tribunal butprior to the C&D investment, the families had nobusiness dealings.“The relationship was one more of a personal

relationship rather than a business relationship,”says Reynolds. “That said, I also knew that ABPhad expressed interest and had attempted pre-viously to get into the pet food business. And itwas a natural extension of what they do anyway,so I knew it wasn’t completely foreign to Larry interms of what he might have been interested in.”At the time C&D and ABP both shared a chair-

man, Ron Bolger, so getting a proposal acrossGoodman’s desk was never going to be an issue.Goodman didn’t hesitate, according to Reynolds.“I met him at five o’clock on a Friday evening

in his hangar in Venair (a Goodman company).And at eight o’clock that evening that’s when wehad an agreement,” says Reynolds producing thehandwritten document.Growing up, business influenced Reynolds

rather than politics as his father entered thatsphere when he was well into his teens.The second eldest of seven children, he boarded

at private school in Roscrea, but worked in thefactory during holiday time.“Myself and my next-door neighbour, Declan

Flynn, who still works in C&D to this day, he andI used to thumb a lift from Longford up to Edge-

After 37 years with C&DFoods, Philip Reynolds isready for a new challenge,writes Business EditorSamanthaMcCaughren

INTERVIEW

Philip Reynolds of C&DFoods. Photo: DavidConachy.

LOFTUS Hall is an imposing sight onWexford’sHook Peninsula, one of the country’s mostattractive tourist destinations. Touted as one ofIreland’s most haunted buildings, it can traceits history back to the Norman invasion and issaid to have opened its doors to the devil backin the 1700s.Down through the years it has been a

convent and a hotel as well as a private home,but it is now owned by businessman AidanQuigley. The devil is long gone and the housenow attracts thousands of altogether morewelcome visitors every year to this increasinglypopular part of what is now branded Ireland’sAncient East.Leaning on the hall’s spooky past, Quigley

— who bought the 25,000 sq ft country pile in2011 — opened it to the public the followingyear on Friday July 13 as a tourism destinationfor paranormal lockdowns and interactivetheatrical tours.“One of our regular events is the Bealtaine

May Pagan festival and Samhain at Halloweenwhich links directly the Ancient East brandwhich has become a great platform for ourtourism business, and those in the area ingeneral, as part of the Visit Wexford initiative,”

said Quigley. According to Tourism Irelandchief executive Niall Gibbons, the Ancient Eastbrand is just one example of initiatives drivinggrowth in the industry outside of the maincities. “Part of our challenge is extending theseason and widening the growth in tourismacross the country,” he said. “We also wantvisitors to spend more and stay longer and thatis part of our market diversification strategy.”He adds that Tourism Ireland, which is

responsible for selling the island of Irelandoverseas as a destination, has just launched its€10m “Fill Your Heart With Ireland” marketingdrive in the US and main European markets ina bid to drive this growth.The Irish tourism industry is robust, though

not without its challenges. After eight yearsof consecutive growth, 11.2 million overseasvisitors spent €6bn here last year and there are325,000 people employed in the industry on theisland.The target for 2019 is to grow visitor

numbers to 11.6 million and spending to€6.5bn, according to Gibbons. The biggestspenders are visitors frommainland Europe, inmarkets like France and Germany, and growingnumbers from the Nordic countries. Air accessfrom this market is expected to increase byabout 5pc this year with newmarkets opening

up. For example, flights to IrelandWest Airport(Knock) from Cologne. The North Americanmarket of the US and Canada has doubled from1 million to 2 million visitors over the past fiveyears and the prospect for growth is strong,Gibbons added. New routes include Dallas andMinneapolis as well as Montreal, Calgary andHamilton in Canada.China is another growth market, as is the

Middle East. Air access from Asia is due toincrease by 15pc, driven by new routes fromBeijing and Hong Kong last year, and Shenzenthis spring. The Middle East market is alreadyserved by Qatar, Etihad and Emirates while themarket is also expected to be boosted by visa-free travel from the UAE.The British market is the biggest by volume.

Visitor numbers hit 4.5 million last yearand they spent €1.5bn. This market is alsoimportant for the off-season as more than 40pcof British visitors come in the first and lastquarters. Growth potential is coming from newair routes as well as increased sea access withthe launch of the ship WB Yeats.“The market finished slightly up last year

which is great given the uncertainty with Brexitand external challenges around trade talkswhich can impact on consumer confidence.Then there are currency issues, for example,

if there is a hard Brexit you could see adeterioration in sterling making Ireland moreexpensive for British visitors,” Gibbons said.“Tourism Ireland was born out of the Good

Friday Agreement as an all-Ireland initiative.Northern Ireland had record 2.3 million visitorslast year — that’s a tangible peace dividendin uncertain times. Tourism brings peace andpeace brings tourism,” he added.However, Gibbons also said that one of

the biggest challenges facing the industry iskeeping the lid on costs and maintaining ourcost competitiveness.“Cost competitiveness are key watch words

for 2019,” he said. “Dublin isn’t competing

with Paris and Rome... it’s more a tier of citieslike Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Barcelona.And if we are consistently pricing above thesecities that will impact on demand. Certainlyduring the course of 2018 there were pressuresthere, though nothing like where we were in2008. The digital infrastructure around pricecomparison, for example, that’s there now ismuch more sophisticated and travellers areacutely aware of pricing. There is good valuearound,” he added.There was much hand-wringing within the

industry when the Government restored theVAT rate for the hospitality sector to 13.5pc inthe last budget.“It’s something that we are very concerned

about and we’ll be keeping a very close eyeon it, especially with the sterling implicationsof a hard Brexit,” said Eoghan O’MaraWalsh,chief executive of the Irish Tourism IndustryConfederation.“There are 20,000 small tourism and

hospitality businesses in Ireland and the VAThike has to be passed on. Only time will tellwhat the impact is in the medium to long term.Having said that, we’re still positive about2019 based on increased air and sea access toIreland, and the ongoing €2.5bn being investedby the industry.”

With VAT hike and Brexit worries, clouds loom for the Irish tourism boomTOURISM

Ailish O’Hora

SUNDAY BUSINESSSunday Independent

10 February 2019 Edited by Samantha McCaughren

On the activistinvestor looking forchange at CRH, p14

SAMANTHAMcCAUGHREN

Pulls out from centre pages

PLUS your SundayProperty section

Louise McBride, p8

The rising cost ofan Irish wedding

How Irish businessesare preparing for anuncertain future, p5

BREXIT ONOURMINDS

BUSINESSMANPhilip Reyn-olds, son of former TaoiseachAlbert Reynolds, has solddown his last remaining 15pcstake in the family business,C&D Foods, to beef baronLarry Goodman.Reynolds told the Sunday

Independent that Brexit hadbeen the trigger for his exitfrom the company. He alsois leaving the company afteralmost three decades as CEO.The companywas founded

by the late Albert Reynolds 50years ago in Edgeworthstown,Co Longford.Goodman’s ABP Food

Group first invested in thecompany in 2008.It took a 50pc stake, help-

ing C&D to fulfil ambitionsto become a consolidator inthemarket and expand in Eu-rope. The pet food companynow has annual revenues of€500m and spans nine coun-tries, employing 1,500 people.Reynolds said that in ex-

cess of 40pc of the businessremained UK-focused.Under the 2008 agreement

with Goodman, there was aput-and-call option underwhich both parties would re-view the business and share-holding periodically.“I had always an opportu-

nity to put my shares to ABPand they would have to buythem, and similarly there wasa timewhen they could call onmy shares and I’d have to sellthem,” said Reynolds.Recently, the pair held a

meeting regarding the share-holding.“Larry and I had the con-

versation and our agreement,our understanding comingout of it, was that Brexit is ahuge issue,” said Reynolds.“It is a huge issue for every

business that trades in the UKandwe’re no different in that.We have to be Brexit-readywhatever that means and inwhatever form Brexit takes.“Did I think it was going

to be now? Did I think it was

Pet food companyfounded 50 yearsago by formerTaoiseach AlbertReynoldsSamantha McCaughrenBusiness Editor

Fintech Revolut totake on pillar bankswith new Irish base

FINTECH disruptor Revolutis to establish an Irish basein the coming months as itprepares to take on the coun-try’s pillar banks with newcurrent accounts, overdrafts,and personal loans.The London-based bank-

ing company, which is valuedat around $1.7bn (€1.49bn)claims that it will offer thecheapest overdrafts in theIrish market as well as thelowest interest rates on loansup to €15,000. More than200,000 customers use theservice here with a further100,000 targeted for 2019.Revolut’s globalmarketing

head ChadWest said that useof the service in Ireland had“blown up” over the last 12months.“We’ve noticed a big rise in

the number of people using inthe border regions becauseyou can store and transfermultiple currencies easily.We’ve decided that we needa more local presence in Ire-land,” West said.“We’re hiring a country

growthmanager, amarketingmanager, and a number oflocal community managerswho will work in Dublin,Cork, and Belfast.”West said that Revolut will

initially hire up to six peopleand will “continue to add”as the company grows in the

market. Currently all Irish op-erations are routed throughthe group’s headquarters inLondon.West said that there was

a “minimum expectation” tohave 300,000 users in Irelandby the end of the year. He saidthat the product was goingto “rapidly change” since itsecured a European bankinglicence in December.Revolut will use the pass-

porting rights of the licenceto allow it to offer currentaccounts, personal loans, andfree stock-trading productsin Ireland.West said the “ballpark”

interest rates on the personalloans would range from 8pc to14pc on values up to €15,000.

Users will be able to applyfor the loans and receivethe money in their accountsinstantly, according to West.In the past Revolut has

been viewed as a “digitalpurse” product that goeshand-in-handwith a separateaccount from a pillar bankbut the company plans forthat to change.“We’re building this one-

stop financial shop,” Westsaid. “Our view is that therewill be no need to use anyother service. Over the nextfew years you’ll see Revolutas one of the top banks inIreland,” he claimed.Bank of Ireland and AIB

are in the process of enhanc-ing their digital offerings.

Michael CogleyBusiness Correspondent

Humphreys defends lowtake-up of Brexit loans

ENTERPRISE ministerHeather Humphreys hassaid that she is not concernedabout the low uptake by busi-nesses of a special €300mBrexit loan facility.Just €15m has been

loaned in the year since itwas launched.But the minister told the

Sunday Independent she isconcerned about Irish firmsthat have not yet engagedwith Brexit, “the ones whoare thinking this isn’t goingto happen or that it’s goingto go away”.“I’d be worried if it [the

€300m fund] was all goingout the door very quickly.I’d say then that there issomething wrong,” she said.“I think companies are

not sure what is going tohappen but what I wouldsay to them is make theapplication, get the loanin place, you don’t have todraw it down, but it’s there

in case you need it. It’s a verygood loan scheme at a verycompetitive rate.“I would imagine youwill

find a bigger uptake as we getcloser to the end of March.”The scheme is aimed at

providing a boost in workingcapital for companies im-pacted by Brexit. A second,longer term €300m schemefor capital investment is to belaunched next month.“I meet with business rep-

resentative groups all thetime and no one is comingto me and saying there isa problem with this loan,”she said.“If there is a problem

I want to hear about it. Ithink right now people arejust looking at what therefinancial needs are.“Because of the concern

over Brexit a lot of people arenot investing and they areprobably reluctant to borrowand I can understand that.”

Fearghal O’Connor

Dublin Port to cut backcruise ships for cargo

DUBLIN Port is to greatlycurtail cruise ships using itsfacilities and may axe thebusiness altogether.Port boss EamonnO’Reil-

ly told the Sunday Inde-pendent that rising freightvolumes and the need tocreate space due to Brexitmeant that trade needed tobe prioritised over tourism.The move will be a big

blow to tourism and retailinterests in the city.Almost 300,000 cruise

passengers docked in the cityin 2018, up 32pc.But O’Reilly said that the

cruise ship business would“peak during 2019 and from2021 we will be taking sig-nificantly fewer bookingsfor cruises”.“Our primary business is

freight andwe are committedto our freight customers —that’s our core business.”Last year, 8,000 ships

used the port,” he said.

“Just 150 were cruiseships. It’s a small part of ourbusiness.“Cargo volumes have gone

up 36pc in six years, weare having to devote landto stage inspections due toBrexit and space is at a pre-mium,” he said.The port has planning

permission for a cruise termi-nal but is now undertakingan economic cost benefitanalysis to see if investing“many tens ofmillions” in thecruise business “stacks up”.“If it doesn’t then we’ll

have to prioritise our corebusiness,” he said.“Certainly in the short-

term we will not be able totake the number of cruiseships that we have done inthe past,” he said.A billion-euro infrastruc-

ture plan will see quay wallsrebuilt, further curtailingthe space available for hugecruise ships.“Something has to give,”

said O’Reilly.

Fearghal O’Connor

Disruptor to offer personal loans after winning 200,000 Irish customers

going to be over this issue?No is the honest answer tothat,” said Reynolds. “It wasall about what’s right for thebusiness and we both con-cluded from that the time— albeit not of our choosing—the time is right now.”He agreed with Good-

man that having a minorityshareholder would not bebeneficial in the current en-vironment. Reynolds said heandGoodman had enjoyed anextremely positive workingrelationship and that ABP’s

backing had helped the com-pany expand and thrive.“It’s very, very tightmargin

[the business], we’re dealingwith the largest retail groupsall across Europe, it’s fiercelycompetitive, and, at times,like the finance crunch, nomoney available to do an-ything — and I’m not eventalking about expanding, I’mtalking about to run day-to-day businesses — you needsomebody of the strength ofan ABP to get you throughthat.”

Pedigree, owned by Mars,and Nestle dominate the petfood sector with C&D Foodsfocusing on the private la-bel business, which meansit makes pet food brandedfor individual supermarketchains.Reynolds said selling the

stake was a very emotionaldecision given the family’shistory with the business.However, he now plans to in-vest in new business ventures.

Brexit triggers sale of Reynoldsstake in C&D Foods to Goodman

Philip Reynolds of C&D Foods is leaving the family business after 37 years. Photo: David Conachy

› Full interview page 6

› See Brexit focus, page 5

Vol. 113 No. 38 C

Recommended retail price of the Sunday Independent in R.O.I is €3.20

Vol. 113 No. 38 23 September 2018 ¤3.20 (£1.60 in Northern Ireland)city final 1

SundayIndependent

GAY BYRNEMy brotherErnest and thenational anthemLIVING

THE GREATBUS DEBATEIs it NTA versusthe passengers?Page 10

Continued on page 2

BREXIT INMELTDOWNDan O’Brien &Colm McCarthyPage 23

LA STORY: Caroline Morahan moved to LA a decade agoto pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She tellsLIFE magazine how she is now happier than ever

WHAT CAROLINE DID NEXT

Winter is coming.Who’s to blame?

OF course our ca-pacity for delusionhas always beenvery necessary toour survival. If the

Irish had, at various stagesin our history, not been ableto avoid the uncomfortablefacts and decide that, ‘Shure,it’ll be grand’, the appallingvista of reality might havebroken us.The downside of this

great capacity for denial isthat, now and again, we geta hard, wet slap in the facefrom reality. Two of the biglies we told ourselves thisyear were that ‘Brexit willnever happen anyway, Shureit won’t Ted?’ and ‘theweather has changed forever.We are pretty much a Medi-terranean country now, like

we were in the 1970s’.And then last week we get

a double whammy —wham,pow! An uppercut in theshape of Storm Ali and asudden realisation that Brex-it might actually happen,and it might not be good.Last week could have brokenlesser people and sent theminto despair. But not us. Wetreated these twin catastro-phes with equanimity.Storm Ali was no joke. It

reminded us that much asMother Nature can shine akind light and give you themost memorable summerever, she can also be brutal.We did, however, manageto salvage something out it.If there’s one thing we likemore than talking about theweather, it’s figuring out

whose fault everything is.We have brought the

apportioning of blame to afine art in Ireland. There arecurrently about 800 varioustribunals of inquiry trun-dling on in Ireland tryingto find out who is to blamefor various long-forgottenoutrages. After the storm hit,we got straight down to it.Whose fault was it that wewere caught unawares?Met Eireann got out the

wind speeds to explain howit wasn’t its fault. Thoughyou could argue that whenyou are having to use theBeaufort wind scale andthe technicalities of whatconstitutes a red over anorange warning to defendyourself, you’re probablylosing. Simon Coveney evengot in on the blame game,deciding to blame all of usfor getting blase, a clearsign he thinks we won’t behaving an election any timesoon. The rest of us, who areusually harping on about thenanny state over-reacting toweather, blamed the nanny

state for not nannying us.The argument is roughlythat if you are going to nan-ny people, then you need tobe consistent. We’ve got usedto being told what to thinkand do, so don’t turn aroundnow and expect us to takeresponsibility for ourselves.It took us a while to

realise the Brexit thing wasbeing elevated to a red levelon the omnishambles scale.Initially we thought Salz-burg was just another ritualhumiliation of Theresa May.As far as we can see, TheresaMay gets ritually humiliatedabout three times a weekand she just gets back up,puts some oil in her cogs,puts in a new battery pack,and marches on.But we have an uneasy

feeling that this is all gettingtoo close for comfort, thatsuch is the incompetencenow that Brexit could hap-pen by accident, even if noone intends it.Winter, as they say, is

coming. But shure, it’ll begrand.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR

€1.2m blow toKinahan cartel as vacuum-packed cash seizedGARDAI have seized an es-timated €1.2m in cash in aseries of searches targetingthe Irish operations of theKinahan crime syndicate.First, tens of thousands of

euro were seized by organ-

ised crime detectives whenthey swooped on two cars inClonard Road, Wexford, at10.45am yesterday in a care-fully co-ordinated operation.The cash was discovered

in vacuum-packed packagesin a holdall in one of the cars.Three men, aged 47, 38 and

29, were arrested on suspicionof money laundering underSection 4 of the CriminalJustice Act.Detectives then quickly

mounted a further search, thistime at a private residence inDublin, where they discoveredan even larger cash haul.

The combined total ofthose seizures was estimatedat €1m.A further search in Wex-

ford yesterday evening yieldedanother €200,000, bringingthe total seized to €1.2m. Afourth man, aged 44, wasalso arrested. All fourmen re-

mained in custody last night.The vacuum-packed wads

of cashwere being forensicallyexamined for potential fin-gerprint and DNA evidence,before detectives can begincounting the cash.It is understood that gardai

suspect the money seized in

Wexford may have been onits way out of the country, anddetectives will be making en-quiries at Rosslare ferry port.The haul is expected to

be one of the largest cashseizures in Ireland this yearand delivers another blow tothe Kinahan cartel, which is

believed to have lost millionsof euro in potential drugsearnings.The Garda National Drugs

and Organised Crime Bureauhasbeenmakingmajor inroadsinto the gang’s network here.

Maeve Sheehan

nRates to be 1pclower than banks

n Switchers andfirst-timers boost

n Savings of €47kon €250k loan

THE biggest shake-up of themortgage market for almost20 years is on the waywith AnPost set to offer home-loansand pledging it will undercutcurrent market rates by 1pc.The mortgages will be

available to both new custom-ers and, crucially, switchersseeking a move from theirexistingmortgage provider tocut their monthly payments.Latest Central Bank figures

show that the average interestrate on newmortgages issuedin July was 3.21pc — amongthe highest in the eurozonewhere the average is just 1.77pcThe Sunday Independent

can reveal that the board ofAn Post has approved a newfinancial services strategywhich would see the semi-state offeringmortgages witha joint venture partner nextyear.The key part of its mort-

gage strategy is to offer sub-

stantially cheaper rates inorder to woo mortgage cus-tomers from the country’s twopillar banks, AIB and Bank ofIreland.Undercutting competitors

by 1pc would be a huge incen-tive, not just for those tryingto get on the property ladderfor the first time but also forexisting mortgage holders.It’s potentially the biggest

innovation in the mortgagemarket here since Bank ofScotland introduced Euro-pean Central Bank trackermortgages to the Irishmarketin 2001.A reduction of 1pc in a

homeowner’s mortgage rateequates to €55 a month foreach €100,000 borrowed. Overthe lifetime of amortgage, thiswould be a saving of €47,000for a €250,000mortgage over30 years.Themortgage offer will be

among a set of new productsthat will include credit cards,personal loans and fintech

An Post to offercheap mortgages

Samantha McCaughrenBusiness Editor

EXCLUSIVE

Full story, page 4

DES CAHILL: MY LIFE,MONEY AND MARTYNiamh Horan interview — Page 13

FREECOFFEEat CostaVoucher on page 2

DES CAHILL: MY LIFE,

Why are ouryoung girlsso unhappy?

Dr Ciara Kelly LIVING

INLIVING

MY YEARSOF LIVINGDANGEROUSLY Lessons

I’ve learntfrom Lucy

Sean Gallagher P10

The private life ofRosemary Smith

2 S 1Sunday Independent 23 September 2018

2TODAY IN YOUR SundayIndependent

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Independent.ie/SundayExclusive

An Post to offer borrowers cheaper mortgages(Financial Technology) ser-vices offered via partnershipsunder a new brand, An PostMoney.Debbie Byrne, managing

director of An Post Retail, saidthat it was not yet seeking afull banking licence but wouldnot rule it out in the future.She said An Post’s plan is tooffer the most competitivemortgage rates in themarket.It would aim “to be 1pc

lower than other providers,bringing Irish rates more inline with rates offered byUK and other providers [in

Europe]”, she added. She alsoexpects Irish banks to fightback: “They are not going tolet us have a free run at it.”An Post plans to issue

a document setting out itsrequirements, known as aRequest for Proposals, formortgages in December. “Wewould look to do a joint ven-ture with a partner using theircapability,” said Ms Byrne.“The rates here are less

competitive than other partsof Europe, largely driven bylegacy issues such as track-er mortgages and the heavylevels of defaulted loans. Theadvantage for us, as a new

entrant into themarket, is wedon’t have those legacy issues.Andwewould be able to bringmore competitive productswith lower rates.We have hadseveral meetings with the De-partment of Finance and theydefinitely have a mandate tostimulate competition in thebanking market.”She said that using An

Post’s infrastructure wouldmake post offices around thecountry more viable. “It’s awin-win for everyone.”An Post is confident a part-

ner can be selected by lateSpring next year. “Wewill castthe net abroad. Irish banks are

also welcome to submit pro-posals but we have also lookedat international banks thathold licences here,” she said.“We aim to be in the mar-

keting and piloting phasetowards the end of next year.”She added it would then

target the peak house-buyingperiod in spring 2020. MsByrne added that there was awindow of opportunity to takemarket share from the banks:“There is low confidence andtrust in the banks and they arestill managing through theirback book issues.“The An Post brand is

strong and trusted and there

Continued from page 1 is the branch network. Wewould need to be able to servepeople online but also in aface-to-face environment.”An PostMoney will launch

next spring and has alreadysigned a deal with Avant, theformer MBNA business, forcredit cards and loans rangingfrom€5,000 to €70,000. It willalso seek partners for fintechservices and lending to smalland medium-sized business.Financial sources said the

entry of An Post into themar-ket is significant but not with-out challenges as competitionintensifies among banks toattract prime borrowers.

However, adviser Mi-chael Dowling, of DowlingFinancial, said a new entrantcoming in at least half a per-centage point lower thanexisting lenders would winbusiness.It is not An Post’s first foray

into banking. It previouslyformed Postbank, a joint ven-ture with Belgian bank Fortis.But it was badly timed andbegan to roll out just as theeconomy crashed. Postbankclosed in 2010 following thecollapse of Fortis.

Ms McDonald’s “inadequateapology”.She questioned why Ms

McDonald had not apologisedin detail for the ordeal she wasforced to endure when shecame forward as a rape victim.Ms Cahill asked why the

Sinn Fein president had notreferenced the alleged IRA in-vestigation she was subjectedto in the late 1990s.Ms Cahill received an au-

tomated acknowledgement tothe email she sentMsMcDon-ald but has so far not receiveda personal response.

Sinn Fein did not respondwhen asked if the party leaderplanned to write back to MsCahill.Ms McDonald’s apology

followed the publication of aPolice Ombudsman of North-ern Ireland report into thePSNI’s handling ofMs Cahill’schild abuse allegations. Thereport found serious failingsin how police handled theinvestigation into her claims.An unpublished report

given to Ms Cahill by theOmbudsman said RUC intel-ligence suggested her alleged

abuser, Martin Morris, wassuspended from Sinn Fein ashe was suspected of abusingchildren. RUC intelligencealso suggestedMrMorris wasbrought before the ProvisionalIRA.MrMorris denies abusingMs Cahill.Ms McDonald said she

could not establish if MrMorris was a party memberbecause Sinn Fein’s “recordkeeping was not as it is now20 years ago”. She also said shecould not comment on RUCintelligence because she wasnot a “spook” or a “spy”.

Last Thursday, Ms Cahillheld meetings with seniorrepresentatives from FineGael, Fianna Fail and theLabour Party.Social ProtectionMinister

Regina Doherty, Labour Partyleader Brendan Howlin andFianna Fail deputy leaderDara Calleary met Ms Cahillto discuss her case.It is understood the politi-

cians plan to meet again thisweek to discuss what actioncan be taken.

Mairia has not received areply to McDonald emailMARY Lou McDonald hasfailed to respond to an emailfrom sex abuse victimMairiaCahill, in which she rejectedthe Sinn Fein leader’s apology.Ms Cahill sent a strongly

worded email to Ms McDon-ald the day after the SinnFein leader issued a mediastatement apologising to theBelfast woman for her rapeordeal.In an email dated Sep-

tember 14, Ms Cahill criti-cised what she described as

Philip Ryan

SF leader fails to acknowledge communication about ‘inadequate apology’

÷ ‘ECHOES, Maeve Binchy and Irish Writers,’ a full dayof talks, discussions, readings and dramatisations, willtake place on Saturday, October 6, at Dalkey Castle andHeritage Centre.The event will look at the quiet feminism of Maeve

Binchy and the role she played in easing the path forcontemporary Irish women writers, and whether genderis still a relevant topic in writing — or more significantthan ever. TCD’s Dr Melissa Sihra’s keynote addresswill elaborate on ‘Intuitive Feminism’, while writersGordon Snell, Henrietta McKervey, Declan Hughes,Patricia Scanlan, Sheila O’Flanagan, Claudia Carroll,Frank McGuinness and Catherine Dunne will discusstopics from gender and crime writing to freedom andemigration. Early-bird full day tickets are €45 (limitedavailability). Full day tickets thereafter are €55. Half-daytickets (morning or afternoon) are €30. More details atwww.echoes.ie/booktickets.

Liam Miller tribute game free to air

÷ The LiamMiller tribute match between ManchesterUnited Legends and Republic of Ireland and CelticLegends at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork will be broadcastfree-to-air on Virgin Media Three and Virgin Media Sporton Tuesday from 2pm. Proceeds from the match will goto the LiamMiller Fund. Marymount Hospice and othercharities will also benefit.

Skeleton staff for mental health services

÷ Fianna Fail has said children’s mental health servicesare in crisis after new figures showed teams supportingyoung people have less than 10pc of the requiredstaff. Figures provided to the party’s mental healthspokesperson James Browne by the HSE show childrenand adolescent mental health intellectual disability teamshave just 9pc of the staff needed. Mr Browne said he wasshocked by the numbers. “Generally speaking children’smental health services are in a state of crisis in manyparts of the country but the gaps in provision for thesemost vulnerable of children is even more shocking. It’syet another area where Fine Gael are failing to deliver,”he said.

O Muircheartaigh tributes at gala dinner

÷ Legendary broadcaster and commentator Micheal OMuircheartaigh was honoured by President Michael DHiggins at a special tribute dinner in Dublin last night.The Kerryman was commended for his 61 years behindthe microphone guiding generations of listeners andsupporters through Gaelic games. “His own original styleof commentating allowed him to turn every match intoan epic tale,” said Mr Higgins.

No winner of €4.5m Lotto Jackpot

÷ There was no winner of last night’s €4,506,895 Lottojackpot. The numbers were; 8, 15, 30, 32, 35, 46 (bonus39). The numbers drawn for Lotto Plus One were; 2, 6, 7,16, 25, 27, (bonus 19). The numbers drawn for Lotto PlusTwo were; 7, 25, 27, 34, 41, 46 (bonus 20). The raffle drew8879.

Housewife leaves €3.3m in her will

÷ Catherine Parsons, a housewife of Nutley Avenue,Donnybrook, Dublin, who died on April 2, 2018, hasleft €3,354,088 in her will. Other wills: John Lyne,farmer, Muckross, Killarney, Co Kerry, died June 29,2018, left €2,783,756; Harry Byrne, shopkeeper,Rathfarnham Road, Terenure, Dublin, died June 22,2017, left €2,428,970; Patrick Cronin, pharmacist,Thormanby Lawns, Howth, Dublin, died November18, 2017, left €2,286,680; Hugh O’Keeffe, farmer,Kemmins Mill, Kilcock, Co Meath, died February 21,2017, left €2,022,853; Nora Cusack, housewife, NewRoad, Clondalkin, Dublin, died February 3, 2018, left€1,989,634; John McNamee, bank official, HerbertRoad, Bray, Co Wicklow, died December 19, 2017,left €1,700,693; Ann Maxwell, homemaker, GlenvarPark, Blackrock, Dublin, died February 15, 2018, left€1,605,969; Patrick Flanagan, company director,Mullantine, Rathangan, Co Kildare, died February 26,2018, left €1,547,271; Brendan Walsh, sheriff and solicitor,Prince of Wales Terrace, Dublin, died February 9, 2018,left €1,520,813; Conor McCarthy, company director,Farmhill Drive, Goatstown, Dublin, died November 4,2017, left €1,290,122; Thomas Hoey, farmer, Kilberry,Navan, Co Meath, died February 14, 2018, left €1,165,293;Paul Collins, doctor, formerly of Bantry North, Co Cork,died April 7, 2018, left €1,020,188.

The value of estates may include property, including the familyhome, and should not be regarded as cash amounts.

Dalkey hosts Maeve Binchy event

News in Brief

FUN RUN: Teacher and Olympic marathon runner Sean Hehir with pupils from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Inchicore, Dublin, who are participating in The Daily Mile— an Athletics Ireland initiative encouraging children to run or jog for 15 minutes every day in their schools. See www.thedailymile.ie. Photo: Tony Gavin

ON YOUR MARKS...

› See today’sSunday Business section

Mediawatchdoggets RTEcomplaint

COMMUNICATIONSMinisterDenis Naughten has askedthe Broadcasting Authorityof Ireland (BAI) to investigateallegationsmade by an allegedRTEwhistleblower about thebroadcaster’s coverage of the2011 Presidential Electioncampaign.The Sunday Independent

revealed a whistleblowerclaiming to be a senior RTEstaff member wrote to 11mem-bers of the Oireachtas settingout serious concerns over thestation’s approach to the lastpresidential election.The whistleblower’s 4,000-

word personal statementwas forwarded to MinisterNaughten by a member ofthe Oireachtas. Theminister’sspokesperson confirmed hehas since asked the BAI toinvestigate the claims.The Oireachtas Commu-

nications Committee alsoconsidered the whistleblow-er’s statement last weekbut decided not to pursuethe allegations as the state-ment was not supported byevidence.In the statement, the al-

leged RTE employee said itwas “critical” that a freshinvestigation takes place intowhat went on in 2011 and theevents that followed.This whistleblower said

they had “agonised personal-ly” over the station’s coverageof the election for seven yearsand felt “cowardly” for notspeaking out sooner.The whistleblower said

they did not complain to RTEover fears of being discredited.Responding to news that

the complaint had been sentto the BAI, an RTE spokesper-son said the station had an“established disclosure policy”for staff members whowish toraise concerns.“RTE would welcome this

individual to come forward, inconfidence. To date, nomem-ber of staff has raised thesematters nor has RTE receivedany official correspondenceregarding this,” she added.

Philip Ryan

› Ruth Dudley Edwards, p22

Vol. 114 No. 25 S1

Recommended retail price of the Sunday Independent in R.O.I is €3.30

Vol. 114 No. 25 23 June 2019 city final ¤3.30 (£2 in Northern Ireland)

SundayIndependent

A STORMAT DUBLINPORT

SONIAO’SULLIVANWinning, dopingand regretsLiving

Continued on page 2

JOE WICKS ANGELINEBALL

GAADRAMA

Tips for the reluctantexerciser

Her life in pictures

A PORTRAITOF ANA

EOGHANHARRISOn Maurafrom LoveIsland

On grief,family,and whyshe chosenot tomarryLIVING

LIFE MAGAZINE

Page 21

Pages 4-5

FearghalO’ConnorPage 16

n Kerry surviven Monaghan outPLUS Joe Brollyon Mayo SPORT

ITALIAN JOY: Nadia Forde and Dominic Day pictured inPuglia, Italy, after they got married yesterday. The dressNadia is wearing is by Oscar de la Renta. Photo Alli Woods

NADIA’S BIG DAY

Boris out-Borises BorisTHE only one who

can stop Boris nowis Boris. This is what

we are endlessly told bythose in the know. And,at this stage, you wonderwhat even Boris could dothat would out-Boris whatBoris has already done? Thisis a man whose romantichistory is so complex thathe refuses to even tell ushowmany children he has.But somehow it seems theResidents’ Association typesin the home counties, whoget to decide Britain’s nextPM, are willing to overlookthat. His lies and hisoffensiveness are portrayedalmost as a kind of winning

honesty, a lack of hypocrisy.What you see is what you getwith Boris, they say.But it seems Boris has a

few more surprises up hissleeve. Let’s face it, whocould have predicted that inhis hour of triumph, Boriswould manage to have thepolice called to his houseover a domestic? The factthat it barely goes withoutremark by Conservative olddears that this isn’t Boris’shouse but the flat wherehe lives with his younggirlfriend is a sign of howlow the bar is set. Manyof the neighbours weren’teven sure if Boris was livingthere or not. You’d think

upstanding Tories wouldwant to know where theirPM is sleeping at night.But now at least they

know where he keeps hiseffing laptop, which forsome reason he wanted hisgirlfriend to get off of, whileshe wanted him to get offher, apparently. Crockerywas thrown, and red winemay have been spilt on hergood couch. But all was wellwhen the police arrived,having been called byconcerned neighbours.You’d wonder at this stage

if Boris is thinking of testingthe old Trumpmaxim. CouldBoris shoot someone onOxford Street and still notlose votes? Indeed, at thisstage, even Trump himselfmust be in awe of what Boriscan get away with.And, meanwhile, poor

old Jeremy Hunt, a relicfrom another era, bleatson about how he’s goingto make this leadershipcompetition about character.

Yeah right, say Boris’sfans. Boris may not havecharacter, but you knowwhat? He is a character. Andthat matters much morethese days. But, of course,the truth is we are barelylistening to any of them anymore. They all drone onabout various things — likethe difficulties of fillingthe top jobs in Brussels,alternative arrangementsto the backstop, so andso’s lack of fiscal prudenceand so on. But all we heardthis weekend was thattwo minutes at the endof the news where theysaid there’s going to be aheatwave next week. Nevermind the accompanyingthunderstorms. We barelyheard that bit. Summer’shere. Wake us up inSeptember when Brexitis looming and we’ll startworrying again. As Brendafrom Bristol said, too muchpolitics going on at themoment.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR

FG inquiry set to name Bailey swing case source

THE internal Fine Gael in-vestigation into Maria Bai-ley’s personal injury claimagainst a Dublin hotel overfalling from a swing is expect-ed to name where it believes“leaked” legal papers relating

to the controversial case wereobtained.The Sunday Independ-

ent has learnt that barristerDavid Kennedy, who is lead-ing the investigation, will“draw conclusions” on wherehe believes court documentsrelating to the case may have

been acquired by the IrishIndependent.A well-placed Fine Gael

source confirmedMrKennedywas reviewing how the storygot into the public domain aspart of his investigation.This included trying to

establish how legal papers

may have been obtained byjournalists.“It is a fact that pleadings

were leaked andwe don’t knowby whom or to whom, butDavid will probably draw aconclusion on that,” the sourceclaimed. During an interviewon RTE Radio One, Ms Bailey

refused to rule out suggestionsthe story was leaked by one ofher own party membersShe claimed she had been

subjected to an “orchestrated”attack which aimed to cause“maximum damage”.

Philip Ryan

÷ Irish watchdog BAI topolice content across EU

÷ Age checks to beincluded in overhaul

÷ Comes amidKriegel case fears

AN Irish regulatorywatchdog,which will police all videocontent on theworld’s biggestsocial media platforms, hasset out the new powers it willuse to combat harmful videocontent online.The BroadcastingAuthority

of Ireland, which currently reg-ulates Irish commercial radioand television as well as RTEand TG4, will now regulatevideo content on Facebook,Twitter andYouTube in Irelandand across Europe.As theworld’s largest social

media platforms are basedin Ireland, the BAI will nowexpand its reach across thecontinent and be responsiblefor new rules for most videocontent on social media sites.The rules will require age

verification, parental controlsand a ‘robust’ complaintsmechanism, according to BAIproposals toGovernment seenby the Sunday Independent.There is growing pressure

in Europe for Ireland to im-plement these new EU rules

amid deepening concern overcontent on such platforms.Socialmedia content came

into sharp focus in Ireland lastweek, following the verdict inthe Ana Kriegel murder case.Facebook and Twitter wereordered to take downmaterialidentifying Boy A and Boy B.It also emerged during legal

argument, published after thetrial, that one of the 14-year-oldboys had a significant volumeof pornographic images on hisphone. This raised concernsabout the type of materialyoung people can now easilyaccess online.In its submission, the BAI

seeks to become an enlargedMedia Commission with “sig-nificant” investigatory andcompliance powers.It would be a statutory regu-

latorwith legally enshrined en-forcement powers to police thesocial media sites’ video con-tent. Criminal sanctions andfines would be introduced forthe most serious cases, under

the BAI plan. The rules have tobe in place by September 2020.This is the first time that a stateregulator will have powers topolice harmful content on so-cialmedia giants like Facebookand Twitter.The BAI also recommends

that an Irish Online SafetyCommissioner, as proposedearlier this year by Commu-nications Minister RichardBruton, would formpart of theenlarged regulator.The BAI proposes that the

Online Safety Commissionershould have three primaryresponsibilities: serving re-moval notices on behalf ofIrish residents that have beendirectly affected by harmfulonline content; enforcing on-line safety codes; promotingonline safety. This is a nationalinitiative focused on individualharm such as bullying and isseparate from the EU-wideregulation of video content.The new EU rules will po-

lice video images for the first

time, but will not deal withcomments or photographs.However, the BAI noted thatthe new EU rules coincidedwith “the international con-sensus on the urgent necessityto address the issue of harmfulcontent”.“By virtue of the media

platform based here, Irelandis in a unique position to leadthe debate and chart the wayforward in relation to onlinesafety and regulation,” says thedocumentwhichwas circulat-ed amongEuropean regulatorslast Friday.Michael O’Keeffe, CEO of

the BAI, told the Sunday Inde-pendent: “Therewill definitelybe pressure on Ireland becauseFacebook, Google (owner ofYouTube), Twitter… all of themare here.“We would be suggesting

things like age verificationsystems, and content ratingsystems. And a robust com-plaints resolution system.“Given the size and the scale

of the content, you have to putthe onus on the companies.”

First social mediacontrols revealed

Samantha McCaughrenBusiness Editor

Full story, page 6

SEE BUSINESS SECTION

2 S 1Sunday Independent 23 June 2019

2TODAY IN YOUR SundayIndependent

› Are you missingsome of yournewspaper or do youhave a query on apromotion?If so, please emailcustomerhelp@independent.ie orcall 1890 130130 andleave us your contactdetails.

KERRYSURVIVE

23 June 2019independent.ie/sport

KING JAMESSugrue’s Open dream realisedafter brilliant Amateur win Page 10

ALIVE AND KICKINGMayo see off Down to takeanother step forward Page 3

INSIDE

It was like a Mayo home gamein Páirc Esler. Forty five minutesbefore throw-in and the placewas bedecked in red and green.The Mayo fans are like the mob inMonty Python’s Life of Brian.

Page 3

JoeBrolly

There was an interview with himrecently that made me smile: “Hisreedy voice cracked and rose

and his eyes welled as he talkedabout Trump. ‘Somebody’s got to

call him on these lies’

Page 7

PaulKimmage

Knocklyon United is a club similarto so many. It is at the centre ofa community, a safe place for the600 kids who play there and formany of those children it’s their

favourite place to go.

Page 8

MarieCrowe

The most surprising thing ofall may be that the Leinster

Championship beat its Munstercounterpart for excitement.This was most graphicallyillustrated last weekend.

Back Page

EamonnSweeney

RESURGENT CORK LETKINGDOM OFF HOOK

PÁIRC UÍ CHAOIMH

Kerry 1-19

Cork 3-10

DONNCHADH

BOYLE

KERRYareMunster champions forthe 81st time but Peter Keane’steam left Páirc UÍ Chaoimhwith at least asmany questionsas answers.

In front of 18,265, one of the poorestcrowds to watch aMunster SFC final inthe last 40 years, Cork came to withina whisker of pulling off a major shock.Kerry did just enough to get by.They roll into the Super 8 asMunster

champions, as was widely expected, butonly after the Rebels delivered a muchsterner examination than had beenanticipated.On the positive side for Kerry,

they dug out a result when the game

might have gone away from them. PaulGeaney’s second-half sending-off meantthey had to do it the hard way and thelikes of David Clifford and StephenO’Brien produced some huge momentsfor the title holders.However, Kerry conceded three goals

and Corkmight easily have added anoth-er three as the Kingdom’s defence lookedopen. Kerry won’t play again until theweekend of July 13/14, butmanager PeterKeane and Co know they have plenty ofwork to do.Some of the stats surrounding Kerry’s

first half gave the impression that theyhad put down a good performance —they didn’t kick a wide and didn’t allowCork to score a point from play. However,the most pressing issue for Keane isthe number of clear goal chances Corkcreated in the opening half.The Rebels had four clear-cut op-

portunities to raise green flags in thefirst half. Luke Connolly pulled his shotwide from a tight angle after 16minutesbefore Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryandenied Ruairi Deane after he torethrough themiddle of the Kerry defence.It wouldn’t be the first time the

Kingdom would look vulnerable at theback. Connolly finally grabbed a goal butKerry’s defence could have done more.A throw-up on the 20-metre line fell toDeane who somehowwas unmarked inthe Kerry area. He found Connolly whoflicked to the net.Cork badly needed that score because

Kerry had opened up a 1-5 to 0-1 leadafter 13 minutes. They had 1-3 on theboard after just eightminutes, with TomO’Sullivan hammering to the net afterSean O’Shea’s barrelling run.Connolly’s goal brought Cork back

to within four points and they almostnetted another when Mark Collins wasput through. However, a brilliant blockfrom Tadhg Morley denied him.Kerry weremuch slicker at the other

end with Clifford, O’Shea and Geaneylanding fine points to put them 1-10 to1-4 up at the break. However, given theirdefensive woes, it felt like Cork were stillvery much in the shake-up.The second half went along similar

lines. Kerry looked good going forwardbut vulnerable at the back with Corkseemingly convinced a goal was on,every time they moved forward. Sean

White helped them cut the gap to threepoints, then the Rebels struck for theirthird goal.A routine ball on top of BrianHurley

caused havoc. Kerry keeper Ryan camebut was beaten to it by Hurley whobrought the sides level with his deftflick. The goal had echoes of DiarmuidO’Connor’s effort in the league final.Páirc Uí Chaoimh suddenly came

alive with the score but, to their credit,Kerry responded well. Dara Moynihanclipped over a score before Cliffordadded his fourth of the day.But if Kerry thought they had

steadied the ship, they were about tosuffer another body blow.Geaney picked up a black card after

an earlier yellow, and Kerry were downto 14 men with more than 15 minutesto play.However, Cork’s nerve seemed to

desert them. They suddenly turnedsloppy and some bad shot selectionlet Kerry off the hook. The Kingdompushed themselves four points clearwhen O’Shea clipped over a free.However, Cork added two points

through Mark Collins frees and the

Castlehaven man added another — tocut the gap to the minimum — as theclock rolled into injury-time.However, Kerry found a response

oncemore. Cliffordwon a vital ball andfound sub Micheal Burns who kept hisnerve to point.O’Shea added another insurance

score that helped Kerry into the lasteight of the championship while Corkcan move into the qualifiers with re-newed confidence, something thatlooked unlikely just a few months ago.Scorers — Kerry: S O’Shea 0-8 (6f); D Clifford 0-4 (1f);T O’Sullivan 1-1; S O’Brien 0-2; D Moynihan, D O’Connor,P Geaney, M Burns 0-1 each. Cork: M Collins 0-8 (6f); LConnolly 2-0 (1-0 pen); B Hurley 1-0; S White, J Loughrey0-1 each.Kerry: S Ryan; P Murphy, T Morley, J Foley, T O’Sullivan, JSherwood, G White, D Moran, J Barry, D O’Connor, S O’Shea,D Moynihan, D Clifford, P Geaney, S O’Brien Subs: G Crowleyfor White (43), M Burns for Moynihan (50), A Spillane forBarry (53), B Ó Beaglaoich for O’Connor (66), M Griffin forO’Sullivan (68).Cork: MWhite; J Loughrey, N Walsh, K Flahive; LO’Donovan, T Clancy, M Taylor, I Maguire, K O’Hanlon, PKerrigan, S White, R Deane, L Connolly, B Hurley, M CollinsSubs: K O’Donovan for Walsh (35), K O’Driscoll for White, MHurley for B Hurley (both 59), S Sherlock for Connolly (66),A Browne for Taylor (68), S Cronin for Loughrey (69)Referee: A Nolan (Wicklow)

SOME hope at last for Corkfootball. After last year’shumiliation — when they werebeaten by 17 points — theyfound that this team does have

heart and spirit. In the end, they werea little unfortunate not to get a replayout of the game.Kerry won, but have a lot of unan-

swered questions.They are a long way from the fin-

ished article — the defence is still veryropey. Kerry need a commanding fig-

ure like SeamusMoynihan, which theydon’t seem to have. I have no doubtPeter Keane has scoured the countylooking for this man, an alchemist, whocan take this team to the next level.Cork scored three goals and could

have had three more. Ruairi Deane wasa warrior for them, taking the game toKerry by the simple tactic of running instraight lines through their defence.Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan will

be in danger of losing his place afterthis performance. The second goal wasa carbon copy of what happened in theLeague final against Mayo when he gotnothing. He shouldn’t have come forit, but when he did decide to advance,it was incumbent on him to take man,ball and all, or at least one of them.TadhgMorley didn’t cover himself

in glory either and they allowed BrianHurley an easy overhead flick to thenet. This is the kind of elementarymistake you don’t expect at this levelfrom Kerry.The first goal was another sim-

ple mistake: A ball thrown in on the20-metre line was flicked on to Deane,who passed it to Luke Connolly, whoflicked it to the net with not a Kerrydefender in sight. This is somethingwe have seen from Kerry in the recentpast, the defence going missing.And of course the penalty revealed

panic after Killian O’Hanlon wasallowed to wade through the heart ofthe defence before finally being pulleddown byMorley.There were lots of other similar

chances offered up for goals and

points. Quite simply, this Kerry defenceis much happier playing ball thanmarking their men, or doing the otherunpleasant tasks which are the firstcall of duty for a back, not the last.Great Kerry teams of the past knew

this. Páidí Ó Sé and Tim Kennelly musthave been throwing a few swear wordsfrom heaven as they watched some ofthe poor defending from this team.There is no room for champagne

football when there’s a game to be won— especially in a Munster final againstCork.Having said that, the Kerry attack

was smooth. Stephen O’Brien, DavidClifford and Sean O’Shea worked veryhard to create space and chances, andtook some lovely points from play. TheCork defence was just as open as Kerry.

It all made for an exciting matchbut the quality was not up to All-Ire-land-winning standard.Paul Geaney was petulant, and end-

ed up with a red card. It reflected thefact that things weren’t going well forhim in the game, but it looks as if theKerry forward line are going to haveto run up a huge total to win games astheir backs will let in a lot at the otherend.Kerry, so, are bound for the Super 8,

and depending on the draw and howkind it is, Cork may also be headingfor it too. The only problem for themis that Dublin will be waiting for them,and their defence won’t be so friendly.The good news for Cork, though, is

at least they have discovered they havea football team again.

The good news for the Rebels is they have a team againMUNSTER FINAL VERDICT

COLM

O’ROURKE

Kerry’s Tom O’Sullivan celebrates afterscoring his side’s first-half goal duringlast night’s Munster final in Páirc Ui

Chaoimh. Cork. Photo: Brendan Moran

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› Colm McCarthy, page 17

Furious FF set for showdown with RTE over exit pollFIANNA Fail is set for a show-down with senior RTE exec-utives over a Red C exit pollwhich significantly underes-timated the party’s supportin the local elections.Fianna Fail’s top brass are

furious with the broadcasterover the publication of theexit poll on the night of the

recent European and localelections.The poll showed Fianna

Fail and Fine Gael neck andneck in the local elections,with both parties holding 23pcof the national vote.However, when all votes

were counted, Fianna Fail heldalmost 27pc of the vote whileFine Gael held just above 25pc.Fianna Fail’s final seat count

was 279 while Fine Gael had255 councillors elected.Senior Fianna Fail figures

have previously raised con-cerns with RTE exit pollswhich also underestimatedthe party’s support in the 2014local elections.Before the most recent

vote, Fianna Fail met withRTE’s election steering com-mittee to discuss the previous

exit poll and other electoralmatters.Fianna Fail sources are

concerned exit polls are “shap-ing a narrative” after electionsby suggesting the party under-performedwhen in fact it wonmore seats than predicted.Yesterday, the party’s edu-

cation spokesperson, ThomasByrne, confirmed that FiannaFail would be raising the exit

Philip Ryan poll with RTE and also calledon polling companies to in-vestigate why their research isunderestimating Fianna Fail’spublic support.“There will be a meeting

with RTE. The issues we raisedpublicly will be raised withmanagement, which was thatthe exit poll started a narrativewhich suggested we didn’t dogreat but we actually came

first. Fianna Fail is alwaysunderestimated in exit pollsand RTE need to do somethingabout that before the nextelection,” Mr Byrne said.“There was an investiga-

tion in the UK which wasfunded by the polling com-panies after a number of pollswere off the mark and thatis something that should beconsidered here too.”

Cleaner traffic jams ‘won’t cut it’ in climate action planFREE public transport initi-atives and schemes to reducethe number of journeys takenby people every day shouldhave formed a key plank oftheGovernment’s newClimateAction plan, according to aleading researcher.Dublin City University re-

searcher Dr Laura Devaney

said transport proposals in theplan do not go far enough toaddress the climate emergency.She has pointed to an over-reli-ance on replacement fuels andelectric vehicles, minimisingpositive environmental im-pacts and leaving people in“cleaner traffic jams”.Many of the key actions in

the Government’s plan aim tocut greenhouse gases in the

transport sector by transition-ing to new clean technologies.DrDevaney haswelcomed theplan but would have liked tosee more ambition in it.“Change can be hard but it

will be nowhere near as hardas the consequences climatechange will bring,” she said.She called for a “modal

shift”, bringing people out oftheir cars and incentivising

greater use of public transport,walking and cycling. Onlythen should the Governmentconsider technologies, such aselectric vehicles, which forma key plank of the plan, sheadded. She would have alsoliked to seemeasures taken toaffect aviation, and incentivesfor people to move to publictransport options.“When we are re-investing

Wayne O’Connor inWaterfordAirport or poten-tially having a third terminalin Dublin Airport, for me ithighlights a lack of consisten-cy across Government plan-ning, policy and infrastructureplanning.We needmore thancleaner traffic jams. We needwalking and cycling infra-structure. You only need tolook internationally to see howthis can be done properly and

how you can incentivise peoplewith free public transport thatperhaps the Climate ActionPlan should have looked at,or reduced-cost public trans-port.“In Vienna people can pay

€365 for an annual publictransport ticket — €1 per day—and that encourages people.”

forms would be required toprovide regular compliancereports to the regulator. If thewatchdog was not satisfied, itwould carry out its own inde-pendent assessment.The new rules are laid out

in broad terms in the revisedEU Audio Visual Media Ser-vices (AVMS) Directive whichwas agreed by member stateslast year. It is up to the IrishGovernment to introduce thelegislation to implement therules here and its views mayvary from the BAI’s recom-mendation.The BAI has already held

preliminary discussions withFacebook and other video shar-ing platforms on the issue.The BAI said a proposal by

the Department of Commu-nications to extend the AVMSrules to all user-generatedcontentwould need to be givendetailed consideration giventhat there are “issues of verysignificant complexity andscale in applying the provi-sions as proposed”.The new regulatorwill also

oversee on-demand servicessuch as the Virgin and RTEplayers.Apple TVwill also comeun-

der its remit andwill face a levyhere, the BAI recommends.Details of the levy will needfurther consideration, it said.

New powersto help policesocial mediaChild protection, incite-

ment to hatred, criminaloffences, terrorism and ad-vertising are in the firing lineunder the EU proposals. Theproposed regulations havebeen balanced by freedomof expression concerns, saidO’Keeffe.Given the scale of the ma-

terial on themedia platforms,the BAI recommends ‘highlevel rules and regulation’with the regulator policing theimplementation of these rules.The socialmedia companies

will have to retain independentdecision-makers for escalatedcomplaints and these peoplewill be monitored by the reg-ulator, under the proposals.These decision-makers

would have the right to makeprotected disclosures to theregulator.“The regulator’s role then

is to oversee the system,” saidO’Keeffe. “The regulatorwouldbe able to intervene when itfeels there is a need for inter-vention.”The BAI proposes an out-

of-court dispute mechanismwith an adjudicator, financialpenalties and the powers toorder the companies to supplydata and information.The video-sharing plat-

Watchdog lays out online safety proposals

÷ The Government has been accused of paying lip-service to the squeezed middle while failing on keyprojects, according to the Social Democrats co-leadersCatherine Murphy and Roisin Shorthall.At the party’s third national conference in Dublin

yesterday, they rounded on Fine Gael in their keynotespeech, accusing them of a “glossy privilege” conflictingwith the “daily lives of those working to stand still”.They pointed to the cost overruns with the National

Children’s Hospital and the National Broadband Plan asexamples of Government failure, while critical serviceslack investment. They said: “Fine Gael pay lip-serviceto a so-called squeezed middle but they never put anysqueeze on those at the very top of the tree. And, for mostpeople who are not at the top of that tree, the currentgovernment has failed.”

Retired garda found dead on Cork road

÷ Gardai in west Cork are investigating the death of aretired member of the force whose body was found inthe early hours of yesterday near his home in Glandore.The 57-year-old man was socialising yesterday eveningin a local pub and left the pub to walk home. Emergencyservices were contacted by a passing motorist whospotted a body on the road. Gardai appealed to motoristswho may have information to call (023) 882 1570.

Two arrests in €800,000 drug seizures

÷ Two men in Cork have been arrested after gardaidiscovered drugs worth almost €800,000 in searches lastFriday. Gardai stopped the two men, aged in their 40s,travelling in a car on the Lower Glanmire Road.They discovered and seized 5.5kgs of cannabis herb

with an estimated street value of €110,000. A follow-upsearch in Togher led to a bigger find of the drug with anestimated street value of €680,000. Both men were beingheld at Mayfield Garda Station.

Charity wants support for home care

÷ A charity supporting older people has called forincreased funding to support improvements for homecare services across the country. Alone, which supportsolder people to age at home, yesterday said the currentstate of home care provision was contributing toincreased vulnerability and challenges for older people,their families and home care workers. It comes amidreports the HSE is planning to target home-help hoursfor cuts as part of efforts to plug a €500m hole in thehealth budget.

Man arrested after fatal fireball crash

÷ Gardai investigating a serious road traffic collisionthat occurred on the M11 have a arrested a man in his50s. The collision involving a truck and another vehicleoccurred Northbound on the M11, outside Gorey, atapproximately 2.10pm yesterday. The vehicle involvedburst into flames and the sole occupant, a man in his30s, was fatally injured. The male occupant of the truckwas uninjured. Gardai are appealing to motorists withdash cam footage to contact Gorey Garda Station on 0539430690, the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666-111 orany Garda station.

Winning numbers in €3.25m Lotto jackpot

÷ The numbers drawn for a Lotto jackpot of €3.25m lastnight were; 3, 4, 19, 32, 39 and 46. Bonus 40. The LottoPlus 1 numbers were; 16, 17, 27, 31, 32 and 37. Bonus 46.Lotto Plus 2 numbers: 3, 6, 21, 23, 34 and 37. Bonus 26.Raffle number 5059.

Businessman leaves €5.6m in will

÷ Businessman John McCall of Ramleh Close,Milltown, Dublin, who died on December 10, 2018,has left €5,627,936 in his will. Other wills: ThomasJones, a farmer of Tipper Road, Naas, Co Kildare, diedNovember 25, 2017, left €4,849,386; Maurice Sheehan,chartered accountant, Crannagh Grove, Artane, Dublin,died December 20, 2018, left €1,793,445; Rodolfo Caira,businessman, East Pier, Howth, Dublin, died April 4,2018, left €1,780,342; Ida Teehan, nurse, CarrickbrennanLawn, Monkstown, Dublin, died November 16, 2018, left€1,697,652; John McNamara, computer programmer ofTuam, Co Galway and formerly Doolin, Co Clare, diedMarch 14, 2018, left €1,472,236; Charles Corr, store owner,Townparks, Skerries, Co Dublin, died March 5, 2018, left€1,364,126; Dympna Curry, school teacher, CedermountRoad, Mount Merrion, Dublin, died November 21, 2018,left €1,301,590 and Raymond Tiernan, a shop owner ofKilsallaghan, Co Meath, who died December 17, 2016, left€1,238,100.

Social Democrats round on Fine Gael

News in Brief

FISHERMEN DROP ANCHOR IN PROTEST

Continued from page 1 WHAT IS THE BAI?

THE Broadcasting Authorityof Ireland traces its originsback to the IndependentRadio and TelevisionCommission (IRTC) whichwas set up in 1988 todevelop and regulatecommercial radio andtelevision. At the time, RTEwas the main broadcaster inthe country, although therewere several pirate radiostations in operation.

As the independentradio and television sectormatured, it became theBroadcasting Commissionof Ireland (BCI), making keydecisions on consolidation inthe radio market during theboom. In 2009 it becomethe Broadcasting Authorityof Ireland, taking over theregulation of RTE.

It carried out aninvestigation into RTE’sMission to Prey programme,which was aired in 2011.The BAI fined RTE€200,000 after finding‘‘serious failures’’ in relationto the programme.

The BAI currentlyregulates RTE, Virgin Media,the commercial radio stationsand has a role to play in theclearance of media mergers.

FISHERMEN in Greystones,CoWicklow, took to the wateraround the town’s marinayesterday in protest over adecade-long dispute aboutaccess to the harbour.Fishermen from the

area moored five boats inthe marina, asking otherharbour users not to passby, as their row with thelocal council and harbour

operators escalated.Fisherman Tim Storey

said the protest was toshow locals who have fishedwaters nearby and previ-ously used the harbour are“serious” about ensuringthey are able to land theircatch there in future.Local councillor Tom

Fortune said further discus-sions are scheduled to takeplace this week to resolvethe dispute.

A spokesman for BJMarinas said the companyis very concerned about re-cent developments, addingthat the company walkedin to a row that was alreadyon-going when it beganoperating the harbour in2013. He said a number ofby-laws had been broken atthe marina in recent times,leading to health and safetyissues. It wants to see thematter resolved, he added.

Wayne O’Connor

PROTEST: Fishing boats blockade the harbour at Greystones. Photo: Colin O’Riordan