Phil Mac Giolla Bhain
| Phil Mac Giolla Bhain | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Philip Joseph Gerard Mac Giolla Bhain Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | University of York |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Children | Cathal, Roisin, Aislinn |
| Website | http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie |
Philip Joseph Gerard "Phil" Mac Giolla Bhain is a Scottish-born Irish author and freelance journalist. After training to be a social worker, and working in Glasgow, Mac Giolla Bhain moved to Donegal in 1996. From 1999 to 2006 he was a staff journalist with An Phoblacht a newspaper published by the IRA supporting political party Sinn Féin, writing under the pen name Mick Derrig, a reference to Mac Giolla Bhain's maternal grand-uncle.
Mac Giolla Bhain came to prominence by charting events leading to the financial collapse of the Glasgow–based football club Rangers. In April 2010 he detailed the extent of the club's tax liabilities to The News of the World. He authored the 2012 book Downfall: How Rangers FC Self Destructed. The book was due to be serialised in The Scottish Sun, a British red-top tabloid newspaper, who published an article praising Mac Giolla Bhain's courage in overcoming intimidation while carrying out his work.
After Scottish Sun journalist Simon Houston allegedly received a threatening email and an angry and negative response from Rangers supporters "jammed the switchboards" of local radio station sports broadcasts, the editor of The Scottish Sun cancelled the serialisation. The paper envisaged a boycott from Rangers fans, similar to that experienced in Merseyside by the English edition of the paper by Liverpool F.C. fans after coverage of the Hillsborough Tragedy. The Sun had been made aware of one of his blog posts titled 'The Incubator'.
The Sun went on to say, "Phil Mac Giolla Bhain is not one of our journalists and his blog undermines the entire industry. That is why we have decided not to carry the serialisation of the book. Not because of the social media backlash. Not because of the internet/radio campaign. But because the author – previously unbeknown to us – is tarred with a sickening sectarian brush."
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