Michael Fingleton was one of the most controversial figures of the Celtic Tiger. As the longtime boss of Irish Nationwide, he oversaw reckless lending that ultimately left taxpayers with a €5.4 billion bill. But was he simply the face of a wider banking culture, or the true "baddie of the bailout"? Deputy Business Editor John Burns joins Dave Hanratty to examine the man behind one of Ireland's most infamous banking collapses.

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<p>Michael Fingleton was one of the most controversial figures of the Celtic Tiger. As the longtime boss of Irish Nationwide, he oversaw reckless lending that ultimately left taxpayers with a €5.4 billion bill. But was he simply the face of a wider banking culture, or the true "baddie of the bailout"? Deputy Business Editor John Burns joins Dave Hanratty to examine the man behind one of Ireland's most infamous banking collapses.</p>
<p>We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at <a href="https://www.independent.ie/service/our-journalism/a/98708550.html">independent.ie/ourjournalism</a></p>

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