A decade ago, unravelling banks were dragging Ireland deeper into the financial crisis. In a last-ditch attempt to circumvent contagion, Nama was established just ten years ago this week. Eight months later, the late Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan would head to Brussels to request a €67.5 billion bailout from the EU and the IMF after receiving a letter from European Central Bank (ECB) president Jean-Claude Trichet outlining this as a condition for liquidity to keep flowing into the beleaguered Irish financial system. Today, Trichet (77) looks on as Europe battles to contain another form of contagion – that from…

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