The Allied Irish Bank's regional office and main branch in Cork has egg on its face - literally.Three days ago - on Tuesday, February 17th at about 11.30 am - a "well-dressed man", wearing a suit and tie, approached the AIB's main building on the South Mall in Ireland's second-largest city. He carried a medium-sized cardboard box, and at first it appeared as if he was just another customer, walking towards the bank.
But then he stopped in the street outside the impressive 19th century building (photo below), opened his box and began to throw eggs at the façade and windows. The bombardment lasted only a few minutes, but it brought traffic to a halt on the usually busy South Mall, one of Cork's major inner city streets.
Some of the motorists and various passers-by are reported to have given the unidentified man a spontaneous round of applause.
The AIB building at 97 South Mall, Cork is probably the most beautiful and impressive bank building in Ireland. Built in 1825 and reconstructed 1863-65, it was the first branch office of the Irish Provincial Bank Ltd., which later became part of the Allied Irish Bank Plc (AIB). Thus it is particularly iconic among Irish banks and a clear symbol of traditional banking and old-world capitalism.
After finishing what he had come for and using up all the 'ammunition' he had brought along, the man dropped the by now empty box and walked away from the scene as inconspicously as he had arrived.
The box, which had been filled with three dozen Irish farm eggs, was later identified as an item bought from a poultry merchant at the nearby 'English Market', Cork's very popular traditional grocery market.
However, the identity of the "well-dressed man" and the specific motives for his direct action remain so far unknown.
An AIB spokeswoman confirmed the incident and declared that the bank would not be making a complaint to the Garda (Ireland's police).
"The man did not enter our building," she said, "and we have no idea who he is, or why he has bombarded the bank with eggs."
While the identity of the 'Egg Man of Cork' might well remain a mystery, with regards to his motives one can think of many. The outrageous behaviour of Ireland's major banks, including AIB, whose reckless and irresponsible management has created the most serious economic and financial crisis in the history of the state, is causing widespread anger among Irish people.
Especially the fact that most of the over-paid fat cat bankers are unwilling to admit their mistakes, expect to remain in their posts and receive their salaries of several million Euros per annum as if nothing has happened, creates great resentment among many ordinary people, whose tax money is used by the Irish government to bail out the failed banks.
I suggest that we all pause for a moment and give three cheers to the 'Egg Man of Cork'...
The Emerald Islander
After finishing what he had come for and using up all the 'ammunition' he had brought along, the man dropped the by now empty box and walked away from the scene as inconspicously as he had arrived.
The box, which had been filled with three dozen Irish farm eggs, was later identified as an item bought from a poultry merchant at the nearby 'English Market', Cork's very popular traditional grocery market.
However, the identity of the "well-dressed man" and the specific motives for his direct action remain so far unknown.
An AIB spokeswoman confirmed the incident and declared that the bank would not be making a complaint to the Garda (Ireland's police).
"The man did not enter our building," she said, "and we have no idea who he is, or why he has bombarded the bank with eggs."
While the identity of the 'Egg Man of Cork' might well remain a mystery, with regards to his motives one can think of many. The outrageous behaviour of Ireland's major banks, including AIB, whose reckless and irresponsible management has created the most serious economic and financial crisis in the history of the state, is causing widespread anger among Irish people.
Especially the fact that most of the over-paid fat cat bankers are unwilling to admit their mistakes, expect to remain in their posts and receive their salaries of several million Euros per annum as if nothing has happened, creates great resentment among many ordinary people, whose tax money is used by the Irish government to bail out the failed banks.
I suggest that we all pause for a moment and give three cheers to the 'Egg Man of Cork'...
The Emerald Islander
