The Anglo Tapes, 10 years on: how we uncovered a scandal

At the height of austerity, this newspaper obtained tapes of explosive conversations among Anglo Irish Bank top brass. Paul Williams and Fionnán Sheahan recall the fraught task of bringing their contents to light – and the ensuing storm

Anglo tapes: David Drumm has refused to discuss the case with the media. Artwork by Shane Mc Intyre

Paul Williams and Fionnán Sheahan

A sheet of paper containing less than 500 words of transcript of a conversation between two bank executives lit the fuse of what became known as the Anglo Tapes investigation.