Convicted Mayo fraudster Lynn's life and crimes is subject of new book
Crossmolina native and convicted fraudster Michael Lynn is the focus of a new book. Picture: Paddy Cummins
The author of a new book on Michael Lynn believes the disgraced solicitor will go back into the business world when he is released from prison.
Journalist Michael O’Farrell has penned . It packs an amazing 17-year odyssey into a globe-trotting, breathless thriller that reads like meets . The book reveals the millions in hidden assets Lynn transferred to offshore locations, putting his empire beyond the reach of the authorities while on the run.
It details the brazen corruption Lynn engaged in in Bulgaria where he partnered with Mafia figureheads to secure planning permits by bribing local officials
The book delves into Lynn’s partnership with a notorious Dutch cocaine smuggler while in prison in Brazil and his association with a German fraudster whose case showed how he could successfully reduce his Irish prison sentence. It also shares the desperately sad tale of Lynn’s victims.
O’Farrell, Investigations Editor, with the , trailed Lynn across the globe and secured the first interview with the Crossmolina native. Lynn took the journalist into his confidence. O’Farrell said he displayed remarkable intelligence and a disarming charm.
“I would happily go for a pint with him any day of the week. You would have a very good time, you’d have great craic, plenty of jokes and banter. That’s part of his secret,” said O’Farrell. “Lynn is almost like a charismatic politician and bringing people into his confidence and making them feel comfortable. He will come down to whatever your level is at.
"He is cleverer than most people I would say. He has a remarkably fast, agile brain. He can read someone very quickly and convince them to put a 40k deposit on a house in Hungary, Portugal and Bulgaria that hasn’t been built yet. And hundreds and hundreds of people did that. By the time he was finished, normal clients from Ireland who put deposits down on apartments that were never built lost €13m. And they thought they were dealing with a nice guy.”
What Lynn was unable to mask was his narcissism.
“He has a huge ego. From the very first time I met him, he didn’t want to be photographed as he was wearing a normal football shirt. I had to give him the shirt I had in the wardrobe at the time.
"There are anecdotes about him wanting to show the ‘good side’ of his face so he didn’t look too fat. He was always concerned about how he was portrayed and what his image was to others."
His wife Brid Murphy stood by her husband’s side throughout his time on the run, his stint in a Brazilian prison and during his recent trial.
"It’s clear that those two are very much in love to this day. There is clearly a love there that’s not false. It’s an extraordinary story of strength and endurance on her part. She is one tough cookie I would say,” said O’Farrell.
Lynn had a penchant for luxurious properties but, according to the author, cared little for expensive clothing or cars. Farrell believes the ‘buzz’ of making money may have been the driver behind the Mayo man’s behaviour and crimes.
“He got a buzz out of making money. He described it once as being better than sex,” said O’Farrell.
During their initial exchanges, Lynn seemed remorseful for his crimes and prepared to reimburse those he defrauded but O’Farrell said that mood did not last.
“He seemed emotional, even tearful at one point. But his behaviour since then isn’t of a man who was going to do that. I think he turned a corner and those victims were left behind. He siphoned the money away from the developments to use himself rather than pay back the victims,” said O’Farrell.
In February, Lynn was found guilty of stealing just over €18 million from six financial institutions and jailed for five-and-a-half years. O’Farrell believes that will do little to deter him from making money again.
Even during his second trial, he was doing deals, including securing a site in Dublin to be used for social housing.
"I think he will go back into business if he can. That’s what he said himself. He’s a very intelligent man who can juggle a lot of details in his mind. have no doubt that he will find something to do."
