Thousands turned out in support of bankrupt billionaire Sean Quinn at a rally in Co Cavan on Sunday.
Mr Quinn was reported as being close to tears as more than 5,000 people came out in support in his home town.
With the threat of jail hanging over his head, the former tycoon looked tired as he was flanked by family and friends during the rally in Ballyconnell.
The businessman will be back before the High Court in Dublin on Friday, where he faces a prison sentence for his role in an asset stripping plot that put up to E500m beyond the reach of the former Anglo Irish Bank.
His daughter Ciara told the crowd she and her siblings were the true and rightful owners of the Quinn Group companies and that her family would still be standing when the war with Anglo ends.
She maintained they were innocent parties who will not be scapegoated by the bank.
“Our lives have been torn apart, as have our life’s work,” she said.
Well-known GAA figures Mickey Harte, Donegal selector Rory Gallagher and Peter Quinn spoke out in support of the family at the rally, organised by the Concerned Irish Citizens group.
Mr Quinn and his wife Patricia eventually broke down as prayers and a poem were read for their jailed son, Sean Quinn Jnr.
The family are caught up in a legal battle with Anglo, rebranded as IBRC, over some E2.8bn worth of debts and have taken a counter-case against the bank over a loans deal.
Quinn, his son and nephew Peter Darragh Quinn were found guilty of breaching court orders to stop putting up to E500m worth of property assets beyond the reach of the bank.
Sean Jnr is appealing his imprisonment at Mountjoy’s training centre, while Peter remains on the run in Northern Ireland.
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