A Garda investigation has been launched into comments made by former billionaire Seán Quinn on Newstalk and will likely be questioned by Gardaí. 

In an interview with The Hard Shoulder last week, Mr Quinn denied that he was involved in the kidnapping and torture of Kevin Lunney in 2019. 

He said if he was involved, he would not have chosen Kevin Lunney to abduct. 

"Certainly, if Seán Quinn wanted somebody to be kidnapped in Derrylin - and it's something that would never, ever cross my mind, or anybody that belonged to me - the Quinns are not that type of people,” he said. 

"But if we did feel that somebody should be beaten up or whatever it might be, it certainly wouldn't be Kevin Lunney. 

"It'd be people at a higher level than Kevin Lunney. 

“If you’re asking me if I would rather see Liam McCaffrey or John McCartan beaten up, the answer is yes.” 

Gardaí in Cavan and Monaghan have now launched a probe into these comments. 

Irish Independent Crime Journalist Paul Williams told the show Gardaí have spoken to Liam McCaffrey and John McCartan, former Quinn Industrial Holdings Directors. 

“They were interviewed by members of a specialist team based in Cavan and Monaghan in an ongoing investigation to try and unmask the so-called paymaster behind the abduction and torture of Kevin Lunney,” he said. 

“It's a scoping exercise to establish, based on the comments made, whether this could be construed as a threat or just an off-the-cuff remark. 

“Seán will quite possibly be interviewed by members of An Garda Síochána.”  

'Incendiary'

Mr Williams said he thought Kieran sounded “audibly shocked” by Mr Quinn’s comment last week. 

“You used the word ‘incendiary’ and that's the word that has come to encapsulate this latest episode in the saga of Seán Quinn and his enmity with the former directors of Quinn Industrial Holdings,” he said. 

“There are people in that area still classified being under serious threat... after those comments, we understand those patrols were stepped up.” 

He noted that Mr Quinn called the torture of Mr Lunney “abhorrent” - but said these comments could still have consequences. 

“It could be interpreted as an incitement to a lunatic fringe or misguided individual who has some bizarre notion that they could restore Seán to the top of his empire,” he said. 

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