Gombeen: pejorative Hiberno-English term for a shady "wheeler-dealer"

As Ireland endures the gravest economic crisis since the foundation of the state it is becoming clear that the political and 'entreprenurial' elite of that country have learnt absolutely nothing from their self inflicted crisis.

The beginnings of the crisis can be fond in a massively over inflated property bubbled that bankrupted the Irish banking system. This bubble was cynically encouraged by the Government of the day led by the venal Bertie Ahern. In response to this the Government gave a bank guarantee on the backs of the Irish people, so in order to save the bankrupt banks they bankrupted the country.

Now as the Irish state sets about demolishing the so called 'ghost estate' built during the hysteria of the property bubble, An Bord Pleanala has given planning permission for the biggest gambling complex in Europe to be built in the middle of rural North Tipperary. This has happened despite heritage body An Taisce describing the development as 

"ill-conceived and warrants comprehensive refusal" 

An Bord Pleanala justified their decision by saying

 “All the best enterprises, tourist and employment generating schemes are speculative in nature. In a time where the economic outlook is bleak it is considered that the planning system should encourage and endeavour to facilitate all forms of development which are shown to have positive social-economic impacts” 

It is difficult to see what positive social impacts are provided by gambling. 

The complex will consist of a five hundred bed hotel, horse racing track, dog racing track, golf course, life size replica of The White House, heliport and a casino. This venue will be built on the outskirts of a village with a population of five hundred and fifty. The development will undoubtedly alter the nature of locality irrevocably but in these desperate economic times there appears to be little local opposition. What is even more disturbing than the potential impact of the development is the nature of the people backing it.

The whole project is the brainchild of former police man Richard Quirke who runs a prominent gaming arcade on Dublins O'Connell street, this arcade is notorious for having slot machines which are legally prohibited in Dublin. The Irish Times gave this vivid description of a visit there,

“Boys in school uniform played poker, women with babies in buggies operated two slot machines simultaneously, and a group of Asian men huddled over roulette tables. Everyone was intensely focused and silent”

The other prominent backer is Tipperary politician Michael Lowry, Mr Lowry is a former cabinet member who had to resign his position as a result of a corruption scandal and has since found to be a tax dodger.

It is clear that this whole development is out of proportion to the area, of dubious moral benefit and is backed by people who are not of the highest caliber. But for the Irish political elite these virtues are to be admired and encouraged. Its seems that the only lesson that has been learnt form one disaster is to aim higher for the next one.