Fine Gael Cllr John McCartin building up political capital

The passions created by the collapse of the Quinn Group along the Border have not subsided, if some of the online discussion on the issue is a pointer.

For instance, a note on the Quinn/Anglo blog concerning the recent purchase of Quinn Glass by Spanish group Vidrala for €408 million, begins: “Since the theft of Quinn Glass by the Spanish, things are not all that rosy for them and will get worse over the coming months.” It later refers to the heavy cost to the new owners of the security measures they have had to take.

Seán Quinn is also back in his old office in Derrylin, while the new owners of the former Quinn Group building materials and packaging divisions work to pay off former Quinn bondholders who have funded the divisions’ acquisition. Eight former managers from the Quinn Group years, including chief executive Liam McCaffrey, are back in situ. There must be a weird deja vu atmosphere abroad.

Fine Gael councillor John McCartin has played a key role in getting parts of the group and a lot of employment back under local control, something which must have added hugely to his political capital.

It also happens that he and many of his family are situated within the boundaries of the newly formed West Cavan Sligo-Leitrim and South Donegal constituency. A resolution of the legal battles between IBRC and the Quinns would add to his lustre. Local observers say he is a shoo-in if he represents Fine Gael in the general election.

That must be worrying for sitting Fine Gael TDs John Perry and Tony McLoughlin. On Friday Perry said McCartin's involvement in the Quinn crisis would add to his popularity, but wondered how a man who was so busy with the former Quinn businesses – he is a non-executive director of the operating company, Quinn Industrial Holdings, and chairman of the holding company, QBRC – would also have time to be a TD.

“It would be very hard to wear the two hats,” said Perry.

Observers say McCartin’s involvement help the Fine Gael cause all along the Border and that resolution of the court cases will add to that.

It must be galling for Sinn Féin, which might once have been hopeful that its support for the Quinns would help it eclipse its blueshirted rivals.