Controversial banker Sean FitzPatrick has had “a lot of professional ups and downs in his life,” his funeral said today.

The former boss of the Anglo Irish Bank, which cost the state billions when it went bankrupt in 2009, has been described by his daughter Sara as a “giant of a man”.

The former CEO and chairman died at the age of 73 last Monday from a short illness.

Businessman Denis O’Brien, former bankers David Drumm and Tiarnan O’Mahoney, and former Independent News and Media chairman Leslie Buckley were among those mourners who gathered for his funeral in Greystones in County Wicklow.

Sara explained at the funeral service that he was a “very loving and present father” who was “always there for us”, and she described her father as having “this extraordinary ability to connect with people” from all over the world. horizons “.

She said: “So many people have told us that what struck them the most about Dad was his humility.”

“He always wanted to help in any way he could, and by God he left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

“He was a man who had enormous mental strength. He constantly reminded us that a person’s measure is not their successes but how they can find a way forward when they’ve been knocked down from a horse.

The former bank boss has become a well-known and controversial figure in the wake of Anglo Irish’s transformation, rise and collapse.

He built the bank over 30 years to become one of the largest credit institutions in Ireland.

But Anglo went bankrupt during the financial crash and ended up costing the Irish state around € 29 billion.

The former banker resigned in December 2008 when it emerged that he had hidden loans worth 87 million euros from the institution.

Mr. FitzPatrick was declared bankrupt in July 2010. He was arrested two years later by agents investigating financial irregularities and later charged with an insider trading scam.

However, the case collapsed in 2015 after it was revealed that documents held by the Office of the Director of Law Enforcement had been shredded.

Mr FitzPatrick had previously been found not guilty by a jury after being charged with multi-million loans Anglo gave to major clients to buy shares in the bank as its stock price plummeted.

Want to get the latest news and daily headlines straight away? Don’t miss a thing by signing up for our email updates here.

Every day, we’ll send you a summary of the latest news, sports and entertainment, all in one convenient place.

For a more personalized browsing experience, download our free app for Android here or Apple here.