Former Anglo Irish Bank Chairman Sean FitzPatrick said he was instructed to 'mend fences' with Sean Quinn after the Maple transaction.

In garda interviews, Mr. FitzPatrick (65) denied that he had stepped outside his role as a non-executive director in meeting with the head of the Quinn Group after the 'bank's biggest deal'.

He has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully providing finance to the so called 'Maple Ten' and the family of Sean Quinn to buy shares in Anglo in July 2008, in breach of Section 60 of the Companies Act 1963.

His co-accused - former Anglo directors Willie McAteer (63) and Pat Whelan (51) - deny the same charges.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard the purpose of the deal was to unwind the 29% stake the Cavan businessman had secretly built up in the bank using a financial instrument called Contracts for Difference (CFDs), over concerns it was destabilising the share price.

Mr. FitzPatrick told investigators that after the deal Chief Executive David Drumm's relationship with Mr. Quinn reached 'bottom line'.

'They had effectively fallen out' and the former billionaire was threatening legal action, he said.

He told gardai Mr. Drumm saw him as the only person able to speak to Sean Quinn, but his instructions were clear that he was to 'mend fences' rather than negotiate.

Earlier, the jury heard that he did not find it 'strange' that David Drumm withheld from him the identities of the Maple Ten - having been briefed about events by the Chief Executive up to that point.

Sean FitzPatrick's reaction in a garda interview was 'so what'. He said the bank had spent around seven months trying to solve the CFD problem and this appeared to be a solution that could work.

He added that he was not 'insulted' that the CEO withheld the Maple names. He described the CFD situation as an 'imperfect and dangerous situation for the bank'.