Tom Gilmartin: The Man Who Brought Down a Taoiseach and Exposed the Greed and Corruption at the Heart of Irish Politics

No. 1 Bestseller

A successful property developer in England, the Sligo-born Tom Gilmartin had ambitious plans for major retail developments in Dublin in the late 1980s. Little did he know that in order to do business in the city, senior politicians and public officials would want a slice of the action … in large amounts of cash.

Gilmartin blew the whistle on corruption at the heart of government and the city’s planning system, and the fallout from his claims ultimately led to the resignation of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in 2008.

This is a compelling narrative of official wrong-doing and abuse of office. It exposes the roots of the political and financial disaster that has wreaked havoc in the lives of so many Irish people.

RTE’s Liveline

Irish book of the year

Sunday Times

Political book of the year

‘The outstanding non-fiction book of the year’

Irish Independent

‘Frank Connolly is the best investigative journalist we’ve ever had.’

Eamon Dunphy

‘As human and engaging as a novel, this is a truth stranger, and more urgent, than fiction.’

Fintan O'Toole

‘Frank Connolly lays bare, in cold, forensic detail, how hard it has been to arrive at certain truths, and the human price paid for those truths.’

Theo Dorgan