Barry Clifford: The Businessman

On today’s Irish Independent, a story splashed across its front pages that one would hope does not define what good journalism is about.  Written in a way  more suited to The National Enquirer in style and substance that a reasonably respected national newspaper that claims to out sell the rest, it begs credibility.

Its banner headline read: Gang boss burns out garda sergeant’s car while he plays football. It continued that Gardai launched a major investigation after a car, a Toyota Corolla, belonging to a ‘popular sergeant' was burnt- out in a grudge attack linked to gangland thugs. I suspect it was more about the football game than anything else if one was to dismiss without prejudice the ground breaking journalism that Ken Foy attempts here. Ken must be in love with this anonymous Sergeant/ victim for he then describes him as a highly –respected officer. Not so for the anonymous/ fictitious/businessman/men/perpetrators.

The gang leader apparently is called ‘The businessman’ except perhaps when he is not doing business. He was easily irritated, according to Ken, when detectives were putting their nose where they shouldn’t into what that was, as in drugs of the illegal kind. You see the gang have being doing it for years, burning cars that is, and it is their modus operandi if they do not like you, and being innocent has nothing to do with it. They must not have heard about third party, fire and theft insurance yet.

The businessman is also ‘suspected’ of murder, the theft of 29 firearms and that his crime domain stretches from the east to the south of the country. How does the Gardai and Ken know all this? ‘A source’ whispered in their ears, or his newspaper by mitigating circumstances should this story blow up over the lot of them. The source also told them about that football game that happens with mind numbing and boring regularity every Monday evening.

Aside from the burnt out car, only wounded pride was lost in the match, but like any feisty team, the Gardai have considered this attack as ‘just not cricket’ and have declared it not as a criminal act but a “declaration of war.” (Now there is no need to get personal) ‘Sources’ also say that the Gardai, as team players of course, intend to clamp down heavier on the anonymous gang/businessmen as well.

What I write here can be construed as an open letter to the Businessman: I suspect that either the Gardai are all on the drugs you are selling, or there is a fit-up on the way. Proceed with caution. The business suit you are wearing today  may well be replaced by one with stripes tomorrow. In the meantime, watch out for your own car at football matches, make sure it has fire and theft insurance, and you are not in it when it goes up in flames. Second thoughts, get a bicycle.

Barry Clifford