13 Facts About Michael Fingleton

Michael Fingleton is a former chief executive of Irish Nationwide Building Society.

Michael Fingleton is known as "Fingers" in the banking community.

Michael Fingleton was born in Tubbercurry, County Sligo in 1938, the son of a local Garda.

Michael Fingleton attended St Nathy's school in Ballaghaderreen, and in later years UCD, TCD and Kings Inns.

Michael Fingleton attended a seminary, but quit before taking his vows.

Michael Fingleton built it up into a network of 50 branches and 40 branch agents, helped by the takeover of the Garda Building Society, Irish Mutual and Metropolitan Building Society and enacted a flexible mortgage policy in the 1980s.

Michael Fingleton cultivated relationships with the press and benefitted by receiving free publicity.

Michael Fingleton began to look for demutualisation legislation in 2001 with the change in the law coming through in August 2006.

When Irish Nationwides home loans manager Brian Fitzgibbon sued to stop the building society from sacking him in 2007, it reinforced the impression that Michael Fingleton totally dominated the institution.

Michael Fingleton had managed to bring the group's cost-to-income ratio down to 10pc from 14.4pc the previous year.

Michael Fingleton provided a loan for Celia Larkin, the ex-partner of former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, without requiring any proof of income.

Michael Fingleton left Irish Nationwide relying on the continued support of the Irish government through the guarantee scheme to raise funding from bond investors to keep the institution in business.

Michael Fingleton enjoys horse racing and frequently attends racing festivals.