Last weekend, millionaire businessman and former Dunnes Stores chief executive Ben Dunne died suddenly in Dubai. He was 74 years of age,

In 1992, Dunne made headlines again when he was arrested in his Florida hotel room for cocaine possession. Shortly afterwards, back in Ireland, Dunne’s siblings moved against him to wrest control of

Dunnes Stores from him. It was this intense family feud that led to journalists exposing Ireland’s deeply entrenched political and financial corruption in the 1980s and 1990s.

Had it not been for Dunne’s cocaine-fuelled psychosis in Florida, would the revelations of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey’s secret financial dealings ever have happened?

On today’s podcast, columnist Fintan O’Toole reflects on Dunne’s eventful life and the extraordinary impact he had on Ireland.

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.

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