Matt Cooper on Sean FitzPatrick: The man who broke the bank and never said sorry

Sean FitzPatrick was somebody who made many mistakes – big ones – but they were rarely innocent ones. He was guilty of egregious wrongdoing during his career as a banker, even if he was never convicted in the criminal courts. We all paid the price for his misdeeds.

Sean FitzPatrick avoided prison, but was roundly condemned in the court of public opinion. Picture: PA

Sean FitzPatrick became possibly the best-known banker in the history of the state, and almost certainly the most reviled. He was also the most expensive.

The failure of Anglo Irish Bank – his creation and personal fiefdom – cost the state more than €30 billion in settling its debts, a process that is still ongoing. Other people contributed to the Anglo debacle and deserved blame, and David Drumm as the chief executive who succeeded FitzPatrick ...