Three centuries of local history died with the demolition of Turvey House in Donabate, Co Dublin, one July night in 1987.
The Barnwells, a Catholic Norman family, built Turvey in 1565, and later put a Georgian facade over the original Tudor frontage. In the 1960s, it was one of the oldest continuously occupied houses in Ireland, boasting one of the finest classical doorways in the State.
Then it was bought by a building company owned by Joseph Murphy Structural Engineering. But, as so often, the eventual demolition of this listed building had official sanction, in this case from Dublin County Council.
Yesterday's evidence at the planning tribunal may shed some light on possible reasons for the demise of Turvey, one of so many fine houses to fall to the wrecking ball in recent decades.
As Mr James Gogarty recalled, the house was "let go to rack and ruin". His instructions in JMSE were to "do the minimum work" on it to keep it safe from the public. "There was trespassing and the roof was being stripped and lead taken off and windows being damaged and that kind of thing."
Mr Gogarty was asked what role the Dublin city and county manager, Mr George Redmond, played in the eventual demolition of the house. "I don't know what role he played, but he said he stuck his neck out or put himself on risk on Turvey House."
The Irish Times reported in July 1987 that Dublin County Council faced prosecution following the bulldozing of Turvey. A spokesman for the Office of Public Works said that the council had "illegally interfered" with the building and had failed to give the statutory two months' notice to the OPW of its intention to demolish.
A spokesman for the county council was quoted as saying that the building had been in a "ruinous" condition and that "there was nothing to be done". Mr Redmond had said he was "not aware" of the demolition of Turvey House or that it had been listed for preservation.
In evidence yesterday, Mr Gogarty recalled the "furore" at the time after he had organised a contractor and the house was demolished overnight.
Two years later, in June 1989, he says he met Mr Redmond together with the developer Mr Michael Bailey, Mr Joseph Murphy jnr and a JMSE executive, Mr Frank Reynolds. Over sandwiches in Clontarf Castle they had discussed Mr Redmond's disappointment at not being made a consultant to JMSE on his retirement. This arrangement had been agreed previously by a JMSE executive who was subsequently replaced, Mr Gogarty alleged.
It was here that Mr Redmond allegedly made the reference to "sticking his neck out" on Turvey. In earlier evidence, Mr Gogarty claimed Mr Redmond sought £25,000 in compensation for not being made a consultant; yesterday, he indicated that £15,000 was the sum agreed on.
Eight years were to pass between the meeting in Clontarf Castle and the next time Mr Redmond tried to contact Mr Gogarty. In August 1997, the witness recalled, Mr Redmond came to his house "out of the blue". It was two days after the Sunday Business Post carried an article outlining Mr Gogarty's allegations.
Mr Gogarty was ill upstairs, but Mr Redmond wrote him a note. This was produced in evidence yesterday. It read: "Jim, I would like to talk to you for a few minutes. Sorry you are unwell." Mr Redmond's phone number appeared on the note.
Mr Gogarty conceded yesterday that he was wrong when he told the Sunday Business Post and Mr Tommy Broughan, the Labour TD, that Mr Frank Reynolds had attended the meeting in Mr Ray Burke's house. He says the reason he erred was that Mr Reynolds had intended being at the meeting but wasn't able to travel. Therefore, it was in his mind that Mr Reynolds had indicated going.
Mr Gogarty's cross-examination would have started already were it not for a lengthy period of legal wrangling during the morning's proceedings. Mr Garrett Cooney SC, for JMSE, accused Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, of trying to "draw the poison" out of Mr Gogarty's inconsistencies by dealing with them before the cross-examination began.
As usual, the argument generated much heat but little light, and Mr Gogarty was forced to sit through it for over an hour.
Things had already got off to a negative start. Mr Colm Allen SC, for Mr Bailey, said his client was not willing to release to the tribunal a transcript of interviews with two officials of Mr Bailey's bank.
Mr Allen also refused to say whether last week's story in the Irish Independent about a payment Mr Bailey allegedly said he was making to Mr Gogarty in 1989 was representative of their case. In addition, he declined to furnish an additional statement on behalf of Mr Bailey.
As the chairman, Mr Justice Flood, noted at the close, it had "not been a particularly productive" day.