I've never interviewed a guest who said they were worried about what might happen when they leave RTÉ and drive home.
John McCartin described feeling uneasy about driving the long, dark lane up to his house. He was rightly scared that – like his colleague Kevin Lunney - he could be rammed off the road, taken hostage, savagely beaten and slashed with a knife.
It's a problem for every one of us in this country that a small group of individuals can be bullied, intimidated and frightened, simply for going about their business.
John McCartin told the nation what it's like to live with a death threat overshadowing his work, his day-to-day life, and that of his family. His son once asked him if Daddy was going to jail as they drove past posters of his picture with 'Wanted' written on them.
That was two years ago. Since then, the threats have continued. Property has been burnt out, companies trading with Quinn Industrial Holdings have been scared off through acts of intimidation and then, this year, the first physical attack happened.
Two directors were assaulted: one was punched in the face, another had boiling water thrown at him.
It seems that it wasn't until last Tuesday, when Kevin Lunney was kidnapped and savagely attacked, that we woke up to the reality of what has been going on. This is something that cannot be tolerated in any democratic state. We trade on our stability as an open democracy, where people and companies are safe to operate without fear of attack.
Is Quinn Industrial Holdings an exception to the rule of law?
Of course that company has had a difficult and complicated recent past, but that in no way means inaction should be the response to reported serious incidents. It's a problem for every one of us in this country that a small group of individuals can be bullied, intimidated and frightened, simply for going about their business.
No child should have to run the gauntlet of intimidating posters, or experience taunting and fear because of their father's job. No spouse should have to worry about the safety of their children going to after-school activities. It goes without saying that anyone issued with a death threat deserves the full protection of the State.
This goes beyond the PSNI and the gardaí - although both organisations have faced questions about how the escalation was allowed to occur.
John McCartin told us how he and his colleagues were scurrilously defamed on Facebook, who did nothing to remove those posts until last week. What part of comparing innocent people to the Shankill Butchers is acceptable for publication on any platform? Why did Facebook not act to remove such defamatory posts when they were first asked to do so? Why do we shrug and allow such matters to go unchecked? Threats and defamation are just as real and damaging when published online as they are in any other forum.
Kevin Lunney is still in hospital. He has life-changing injuries. It has taken unimaginable hardship for him and his family to create momentum for action. That momentum has to continue until this is sorted out once and for all. It should be an aim shared by all of us, otherwise we have worrying questions to face about our democracy and our willingness to deal with the most despicable criminals.
Claire Byrne Live, Mondays at 10.35pm on RTÉ ONE. If you'd like to join the studio audience, please email clairebyrnelive@rte.ie.
