When news of Michael Lynn’s multimillion euro theft first hit the headlines, the small population of his Mayo hometown went into shock. He had been seen locally as a harmless choirboy from a God-fearing family.
By October 2007, when news of his dodgy mortgage dealings broke, Lynn had spent more than a decade living and working in Dublin, while paying regular return visits to Crossmolina, nestled in the Moy Valley in north Co Mayo.
Lynn had grown up on a farm off Lake Road, run by his father Hugh Gerard, who would “sit up all night” to make sure his bills were paid, according to sources close to the family.
The former lawyer’s immediate family are said to have been “horrified” and “very hurt” over Lynn’s dishonest financial activities. The Lynns are held in very high regard in the tight-knit west of Ireland town.
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“Everyone was shocked,” said one local person.
With a population of less than 2,000, Crossmolina boasts picture-postcard vistas such as the 806m (2,646ft) Nephin Mountain. Ballina, the ancestral home of US president Joe Biden, is minutes away.
“The Lynns are very respectable people. Some people would be able to laugh it off, but they are law-abiding, God-fearing people,” a well-placed source said.
According to one relative, in the months after Lynn’s dealings came to light, “it was like there was someone dead in the family”.
The youngest of seven children, Lynn showed musical flair in his early teens when he started singing in a local church choir. “He was full of fun. When I think of him, there’s always a smile on his face. He’d always come over and chat,” said one woman who helped run the choir.
Those who taught Lynn at the local Gortnor Abbey secondary school say he was a “clever” teenager who loved music but was “always ready for devilment”. One teacher said she was “flummoxed” to later learn that he had been stealing from the banks.
As a teenager, Lynn performed in Crossmolina pubs where the music played is as important as the drink served. “He was the life and soul of the party – give him a guitar and he was away,” a relative recalled.
Lynn, who is now 55, went on to sing professionally at weddings and once sang solo in front of Pope John Paul II in Rome.
Some locals describe him as a “very cool customer” who displayed an enthusiasm for moneymaking ideas early on. By the time he completed his Leaving Cert in the 1980s, his heart was set on a legal career. He moved to Dublin, studied law at Trinity and became a successful solicitor in the capital.
In 2006, Lynn celebrated his marriage to clinical nurse manager Brid Murphy with a reception for 200 guests at Dromoland Castle, Co Clare.
“It was unbelievable. Lavish. He was walking around chatting and laughing like it was an everyday occurrence,” said one family friend who attended the event.
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