MICHAEL Lowry's and Ben Dunne's relationship dates back to the late 1970s and stems from business rather than political contact.
After leaving school at 16, - the young Lowry got a job repairing electrical switches with a Thurles, Co Tipperary, firm, Butler Refrigeration.
The owner of the Company, Mr Matt Butler, was said to be impressed by the youngster, and promoted him to the sales department.
By far Butler Refrigeration's largest client at that time was Dunnes Stores, and Mr Lowry came into contact with its colourful joint managing director, Mr Ben Dunne jnr.
Mr Lowry left Butler Refrigeration in 1989. He subsequently formed his own company, Streamline Enterprises, taking some of the Butler technical staff with him. Dunnes Stores, whose acting chairman was then Mr Ben Dunne, immediately awarded Mr Lowry's company the contract for its refrigeration services in Munster.
Some time later, Dunnes stores switched its refrigeration contracts for the rest of the country from Butler to Mr Lowry's firm.
Mr Dunne remained at the head of Dunnes Stores until March 1993, when he was deposed in an acrimonious family dispute. According to yesterday's report in the Irish Independent, an invoice sent to Dunnes Stores relating to an extension to Mr Lowry's home in Co Tipperary was dated February 25th, 1993.
A more tenuous link between the two men came in March last year when Mr Lowry, as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, appointed Mr Stewart Harrington to the board of the ESB.
Two months previously, Mr Dunne, then executive chairman of the property company Dunloe, hired Mr Harrington as managing director.