FF councillor's life became 'hell'

A former Fianna Fáil county councillor has told the tribunal how his life became "hell" after allegations that he sought a massive bribe became public.

Mr Finbarr Hanrahan, from Lucan, said he had had "a lifetime of difficulty" as a result of a single "lie" by developer Mr Tom Gilmartin, who alleges the councillor sought £100,000 in return for his support for the rezoning of Quarryvale in west Dublin.

Yesterday, Mr Hanrahan said he was appearing at the tribunal without a legal team because he couldn't afford one. As a teacher, a month's salary would only pay for a senior counsel for a day. He appealed for the tribunal's help against "leading" questions by Mr Gilmartin's lawyers.

He refused to support Mr Gilmartin's proposals for Quarryvale because there was already a designated town centre site at Balgaddy, and he felt this was the best site. However, an "over-anxious" Mr Gilmartin kept ringing.

In his calls, Mr Gilmartin spoke with a loud voice and was overbearing and heavy-handed, he said. The reason he met him was to get him "out of my hair" and stop him ringing his home.

"He lured me into a meeting that lasted 10 minutes and then told an audacious lie about me seeking a huge amount of money for something I couldn't influence in the first place."

He added, "I seem to be the devil in the detail, the one picked out by him because I wouldn't agree to his far-fetched proposals." Mr Hanrahan said Mr Gilmartin was bitter. He was trying to "bring down everybody, all the way to the Government. He was frustrated and peeved that I wouldn't roll over and do what he wanted me to do."

His denial of Mr Gilmartin's claim was first reported in a Sunday newspaper in 1996. After that, his professional, political and personal life became "hell". One lie had given him "a lifetime of difficulty"; even as he was arriving at the tribunal yesterday someone had abused him in the courtyard of Dublin Castle.

Mr Hanrahan said you couldn't take steps against a rumour because if you did, "it just blows up in your face".

He had to stand in front of several hundred students every day, he said. "Every single day of my life since then, I have had remarks passed about brown bags, shady deals and the like." In these circumstances, it came as a relief for him to be able to tell his story at the tribunal.

"I'm damned, damned, damned, because this man said this lie about me." He agreed with Mr Liam Lawlor, representing himself, that he and Mr Lawlor were political rivals in the same constituency.

Mr Hanrahan admitted he had blamed Mr Lawlor for the "nasty rumours" about himself when he heard them first in the 1990s. He was sorry he had done this as it was clear now the rumours did not come from Mr Lawlor.

He couldn't imagine why Mr Gilmartin had blamed him for his own difficulties. No whip was in operation among Fianna Fáil councillors on the council in relation to planning votes, he said.

Mr William Murray, a former employee of Dublin County Council, recalled a meeting between Mr Gilmartin and planners in 1988 as "the most extraordinary meeting in my whole career as a planner".

He said Mr Gilmartin had no regard for the plans of the officials as set out in the development plan, and promised to "drive a coach-and-four" through them. He also claimed to have "friends in high places".