In October 2022, Charlie Bird, legendary Irish journalist, was met with a devastating diagnosis: he was suffering from the early stages of Motor Neuron Disease (MND), a brutal degenerative condition that would severely curtail his life expectancy.
Still reeling from the news, he met with an old source, former Head of the Fraud Squad Wille McGee, who let slip details of what Charlie believed could be one of the biggest stories of his career. In September 1979, the Minister for Agriculture received an anonymous letter. Failure to hand over £5m, the letter read, and the dreaded Foot and Mouth virus would be purposely let loose in Ireland, an act of criminal terrorism that would buckle the faltering Irish economy. Senior staff were left shaken and appalled, not only for the brazenness of the demands within, but also for the potential devastation that would be wrecked on the State if the demands weren’t met.
- Colm Quinn Director Mattress Men
- Colin Murphy WriterT he Guarantee
- David Power Producer The Artist & The Wall of Death
- John Kelleher Producer The Artist & The Wall of Death, Sparrow, The Guarantee
Duration:01:26:26