Cosgrave denies receiving £5,000 in car park

Former cathaoirleach of the Seanad Liam Cosgrave has denied that he received £5,000 from lobbyist Frank Dunlop in the car park of a church before a funeral in 1992.

Mr Cosgrave, a former Fine Gael senator who was sentenced to 75 hours community service in 2006 for non-disclosure of a political donation from Mr Dunlop, said he never attended the funeral in question and his name did not appear in the book of condolence.

Mr Dunlop had told the tribunal that he gave Mr Cosgrave £5,000 in cash on November 11th, 1992 outside the funeral of Dr Edward Desmond Dillon in the Church of the Guardian Angels on Newtown Park Avenue in south Dublin. The payment was made for Mr Cosgrave's support of the Quarryvale development, Mr Dunlop had said.

However, Mr Cosgrave said yesterday he was given £2,000 by Mr Dunlop in Buswell's Hotel at about the same date, as a political donation in advance of the general election in which he was a candidate.

"I wasn't at Dr Dillon's funeral on that day," Mr Cosgrave said.

He complained that the last time he gave evidence in Dublin Castle, counsel for the tribunal John Gallagher SC did not make it clear that his name was not on the book of condolence.

Mr Cosgrave said he just wanted to put it on the record that the funeral list was not produced in evidence.

"They can't do much more damage to me apart from putting a gallows out in the castle yard," he said.

Counsel for the tribunal, Patricia Dillon SC, pointed out that in fact it had been acknowledged on the record at the tribunal that Mr Cosgrave's name did not appear on the book of condolence and that a copy of the book was sent to Mr Cosgrave's solicitor in 2003.

"My view is that if my name was on that list Mr Gallagher would have produced it [in public hearing]," Mr Cosgrave said.

Ms Dillon said the book of condolence was not read into the record at the request of the family of the late Dr Dillon.

She examined Mr Dunlop's diary for the date in question and pointed out that most of the other meetings he had recorded, including one with Pat Rabbitte, were acknowledged by those he met. She asked Mr Cosgrave if he was saying he did not meet Mr Dunlop at all that day.

He said he did not, and that he got the £2,000 in cash as a political donation in other circumstances. "I have dozens of failings, Ms Dillon, but I'm not corrupt," he said.

He denied an allegation that he received any money from Mr Dunlop in May 1991, following a vote on Quarryvale at Dublin County Council. Ms Dillon pointed out that in fact he did not vote on the Quarryvale motion on that date.

"Mr Dunlop has his own agenda down here," Mr Cosgrave said. "I'm now getting money for not voting . . . is it vivid recollection for him or is it inventive recollection?"

Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ardagh told the tribunal he did not vote for a motion on Quarryvale in May 1991 because, although he did sign in for the council meeting, he was too busy to vote.

He said he did meet Mr Dunlop and Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan, but did not recall being lobbied about Quarryvale. He said he may have contacted Mr Dunlop on a couple of occasions when he was seeking nomination for the Dáil or Seanad.