Tom Gilmartin revealed his 'awful problem with being invisible', writes Alison Healy.
The Taoiseach and half the Cabinet could not remember meeting him in February 1989. It was after this meeting that Mr Gilmartin claimed he was asked for £5 million. When he refused in colourful terms, he was told that he could "end up in the Liffey". Neither could Ray MacSharry remember meeting him, even though Mr Gilmartin claimed they met twice.
"I seem to have an awful problem with being invisible," Mr Gilmartin complained to the tribunal. And he wondered aloud if he was some form of ghost that turned up at meetings but could not be seen by anyone.
But Mr Gilmartin had no problem being seen yesterday as the crowds flocked to Dublin Castle to see the man who claimed that he had given Pádraig Flynn £50,000. Indeed, Mr Flynn joined the public gallery himself, before moving on to the lawyers' benches when the crowds grew.
Tom Gilmartin was the man who reputedly told Fianna Fáil that they made the Mafia look like monks. This was the man who claimed that tribunals were as useful as tits on a bull.
But if the public gallery was looking for light relief, Mr Gilmartin didn't come with a stack of new anecdotes. He gave his evidence in a serious and restrained way. The colourful outbursts were left to Liam Lawlor, who unleashed a tirade of insults at Mr Gilmartin after dismissing his evidence as "a pack of lies".
Mr Gilmartin's face remained expressionless as Mr Lawlor called him "greedy", "disgruntled" and "vindictive".
But he allowed himself a slight smile when Mr Lawlor said he was giving his evidence in a glasshouse and there wouldn't be too many panes of glass left when Liam Lawlor was finished with him.
He hoped Mr Gilmartin did not wound himself with splinters. But Liam Lawlor wasn't hanging around to find out. As soon as Mr Gilmartin took the stand, Mr Lawlor stood up and left the building with a theatrical flourish.
