Irish Nationwide members - Bloomberg News

Hello:

I am an reporter for Bloomberg News / Bloomberg BusinessWeek and I am working on a story looking again at Ireland's financial troubles and rise and fall of the banking system, this time through the arc of Michael Fingleton's career at Irish Nationwide.

I am coming back to this story because of the huge increase in funds the government said on Sept. 30 it would now have to set aside to prop up the Irish banking system, including a doubling to 5.4 billion euros of the capital needed by Irish Nationwide.

Although he is famous/infamous in Ireland, Fingleton is little known outside of it and it seems to me (as an outsider) that the extent to which he transformed a sleepy little building society into a rapidly expanding commercial lender best mirrors Ireland's economic gains in the 90s and then shift into property speculation this past decade, ending of course with the crash you are now living through.

I would very much like to speak with members or former members of Irish Nationwide, particularly people who have met with Michael Fingleton in order to be able to present an accurate profile of what he is really like, the way he dealt with members (buth supporters and peopel who may have opposed him) and the way in which Irish Nationwide was run.

Please e-mail me at akatz5@bloomberg.net if you were a member or knew Michael Fingleton in some other way and would be willing to tell your story.

Thank you very much and best regards,
Alan Katz
Bloomberg News
tel: +331.5365.5007

Brendan, I think you are the man for this.

You should talk to Senator Shane Ross - writes a column for the Sunday Independent newspaper. He's done a lot of backround research into Nationwide and knows most of the characters involved.

I read Ross's book "The bankers". didn't realize he was a politician. Will try him, thanks (still also looking for members/former members too!)