Murphy has no masters Ð if only heÕd quit moaning

It was the current affairs equivalent of Jurassic Park – Mike Murphy interviewing Bertie Ahern – as though the Celtic Tiger had never left his plinth. But this was 2011 and here were two men, back in the spotlight for the Big Interview when we thought their best days were well behind them.

In fairness to Murphy – who comes across as a fairly bitter man over his finances (or lack of them) – he’s still a thorough pro who has found a perfect vehicle for his talents; Marian Finnucane went into areas she really hadn’t intended to during her interview and Tommy Tiernan was just bloody good television.

So when he shaped up to Bertie, you knew something had to give. Because Murphy is like a good boxer, luring in his prey and then punching the living daylights out of them right through their weak chin. 

And if there’s one thing that will add to the powder keg, it’s the question of money – because Murphy claims he doesn’t have a lot of it left and Ahern has a safe full of unmarked notes.

So the Live Mike slumps into his seat and squints at the former Taoiseach, with an expression that, for all the world, says there’s a nasty smell off someone’s shoes.

He warms him up on the economy, where the deluded Dub sticks to the well-worn script that nobody told him there was a problem, so how was he to know.

Indeed he went further into the quicksand by insisting that, not alone did he not want to step aside to avoid the clean-up, but he’d have loved nothing more than to put right all the wrongs.

“I would have loved to have served a few more years because the experience that I had from the currency crisis and being in finance, I’d have been able to play a key role in that,” he announces.

An incredulous Murphy just looks down his nose and quips ‘you do?’ To which Bertie retorts: “I do – I would have been far happier in there, hands on, in that crisis than out twiddlin’ me thumbs.”

There was no need for a big long-winded question because that simple response said more than five minutes of interrogation ever could. And the simple, straight-forward question proved to be the best way to cut to the chase.

“What did you do with the money?” exclaimed Murphy.

“I earned in the period over 300,000 and what I did was, I cashed the cheques”

“But what did you do with the money – what did you spend it on?”

“I got meself a house; I started paying a mortgage on the house and I paid some other debts so I mean I had to explain every penny to the tribunal.”

For more. read this week's Connacht Sentinel.