Court archive
Court reports mentioning Dunmore, Galway
2025-11-11 · Galway
A farmer from Dunmore, County Galway, has obtained High Court permission to challenge the residential zoning of his lands under the Residential Zoned Land Tax. Michael Knightly is seeking to quash the zoning decision imposed by Galway County Council and is pursuing proceedings against the Council, the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland, and the Attorney General. Mr Knightly contends that the zoning decision failed to consider reasonable matters, constituted disproportionate interference, and breached fair procedures, EU directives, climate policy, and Constitutional justice. He submits that the tax imposed as a result could necessitate the sale of his lands, interfering with his livelihood. Mr Knightly has actively farmed the land for two decades and receives agricultural payments and participates in environmental protection schemes. Galway County Council stated the lands occupy a strategic location suitable for immediate development to support housing needs and compact urban growth. The Council noted that rezoning to agriculture would conflict with its development plan. Mr Knightly's legal team, instructed by Ballyhaunis-based solicitors, argue the decision conflicts with EU farm sustainability regulations and climate obligations.
2023-03-27 · Waterford
The High Court approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement for former Fianna Fáil councillor Thomas 'Eddie' Mulligan, allowing him to write off more than €4.4 million in debt while retaining his family home. Mulligan, 55, contributed just over €9,000 to creditors and fees for the arrangement. He had served on Waterford City and County Council from 2014 until his resignation in August 2022 and had run unsuccessfully for Fianna Fáil in the 2020 General Election. The court heard that his financial difficulties stemmed from the 2008 recession, when he borrowed money and gave personal guarantees for loans used to invest in property assets. Those assets, including retail and commercial units, lost value and rental income fell, leading to a need to sell them to repay debts. Mulligan's main creditors are Pepper Finance, Everyday Finance DAC, Bank of Ireland, and a local Credit Union. He entered insolvency and engaged Personal Insolvency Practitioner Mitchell O'Brien.
2019-01-22 · Waterford
Professor Kieran Byrne, the former president of Waterford Institute of Technology, has lost his High Court action regarding his non-reappointment to the role. In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, Mr Justice Senan Allen rejected Prof Byrne's claim that he was entitled to be reappointed as WIT President in 2011. The judge determined that no member of WIT's governing body informed Prof Byrne he would be reappointed. Although Prof Byrne alleged that a selection board member and the Public Appointments Board indicated his selection, the court found he could not legitimately believe those parties spoke for the governing body. Prof Byrne, who served as President from 2001 to 2011, sought declarations that the governing body's decision not to ratify his appointment was null and void, along with damages for negligence, breach of contract, and misrepresentation. He argued the selection process was flawed and that the decision was influenced by media reports on office expenditure. WIT denied wrongdoing, stating the decision followed a transparent process. The judge concluded that appointing the president is a function of the governing body, not the subcommittee that recommended Prof Byrne's reappointment. The court held that the governing body was entitled to consider freedom of information requests concerning expenditure. Consequently, the judge dismissed the claims, noting that even if Prof Byrne mistakenly assumed reappointment, there was no evidence the governing body shared that assumption.
2018-11-13 · Waterford
Professor Kieran Byrne, former president of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), has brought a High Court action claiming humiliation and reputational damage after WIT's governing body declined to reappoint him in 2011. Byrne, who served as president from 2001 to 2011, alleges that a 2011 Irish Examiner article on the President's Office expenses prompted the governing body to postpone ratification and ultimately reject his reappointment. He contends the selection process was flawed, that WIT misrepresented that he would be reappointed, and that the body considered irrelevant factors, including the media report. Byrne seeks declarations that the decision was null and void, that he was entitled to the post, and damages for negligence, breach of contract, breach of legitimate expectation and misrepresentation. WIT denies wrongdoing, asserting a transparent process and that the media report was considered in its decision. The case remains pending.
2017-06-26 · Meath
Promontoria (Arrow) Ltd is seeking a €9.68 million judgment against three former partners of the Bridgeford Partnership—Mr Pat Burke of Dunmore, Mr John Donnelly of Boyne Hill, and Mr John Fleming of Clonskeagh—over an alleged failure to repay a loan advanced in 2009. The fund claims it received a €9.4 million loan from EBS Building Society in February 2009 to restructure an existing debt and provide a capitalised facility, secured by the Bridgeford Bar & Restaurant in Drogheda and a site on Bredin Street. The loan was repayable by February 2011, transferred to National Asset Loan Management Ltd, and later acquired by Promontoria in 2015. In January the fund demanded repayment of the outstanding €9.68 million, including interest, and appointed a receiver over the secured assets.
2017-03-10 · Galway
During the second day of Andresj Krauze's murder trial, the jury heard that his brother, Sergejs Krauze, had been convicted of manslaughter in the death of Juris Buls. Garda Cormac Bane presented CCTV footage from Glenamaddy showing a maroon‑coloured Honda Accord, similar to Sergejs's car, arriving an hour after Buls' girlfriend left his home. The footage also suggested a black Audi, Buls' vehicle, was seen driving around four hours after Buls was last seen alive. The prosecution alleged that Buls was killed in his home by Andresj Krauze shortly after the Honda arrived, and that his body was taken to a wooded area 7 km outside Glenamaddy. The case was heard by a jury of six men and six women, and the trial continues before Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan. Andresj Krauze pleaded not guilty.
2017-02-23 · Waterford
In February 2017 the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in Dublin found former solicitor Eoin M Dee guilty of misconduct on three counts. The first count concerned the non‑payment of €1,691.24 in fees owed to senior counsel Aidan Doyle for a personal injury case involving an insurance company and a policy holder. The second count was the failure to respond to letters from the Law Society of Ireland in 2014 and 2015 about the unpaid fees. The third count was the failure to attend a meeting of the Law Society's complaints committee in July 2015. The tribunal noted that Mr Dee had practised as a solicitor from June 1998 until 31 January 2014 and that a High Court order in October 2016 had restricted him to practising only as an assistance solicitor.
2015-04-27 · Dublin
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 6 April 2014, William O'Shea, aged 30, and Mark Hayden, aged 43, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply. O'Shea had transported almost a kilogram of cocaine from Dublin to Cork, while Hayden had held the drugs for two days. Gardaí had monitored the Skylon Hotel in Dublin after a tip, observed O'Shea leaving the hotel and entering a car driven by Hayden, and seized a bag containing €68,740 worth of cocaine from O'Shea. Hayden later admitted he had been approached for a €1,000 delivery, knowing it was illegal, and had collected the drugs two days earlier. O'Shea claimed he was offered a "box of coke" and promised a "sorted" role. Both men had good work histories and cooperated with investigators.
2015-04-17 · Dublin
In a 2015 High Court decision, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan allowed Dublin resident James Walsh to pursue a civil claim against the State for malicious prosecution. Walsh, who was acquitted in 2007 of charges that he had threatened journalist Paul Williams, argues that the prosecution was based on false allegations known to be untrue. He has sued the Garda Commissioner and the Attorney General for punitive and exemplary damages. The State and the Garda Commissioner sought to dismiss the claim on grounds of inordinate delay and lack of progress, citing Walsh's late filing of the claim in 2009 and his failure to attend court. The judge rejected the dismissal, noting that no prejudice had been shown and that the delay did not justify striking out the case. He ordered the matter to proceed to hearing as soon as possible, emphasizing fairness to both parties. The case remains pending before a judge and jury.
2015-02-16 · Dublin
Mark O'Reilly, 37, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at a service station in Tallaght on 11 March 2012. He was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, on 7 April 2014. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence as too lenient, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. O'Reilly pointed a realistic‑looking imitation handgun at two Gardaí during the robbery attempt. The attendant, Mr Rizman Ali, acted quickly, pressed the emergency button and counted the money while facing threats. Gardaí arrived, produced firearms, and arrested O'Reilly. He did not admit guilt in detention but claimed he had only pointed the gun at the attendant. O'Reilly's suspended sentence was reactivated after a Probation Service application, and he is now serving the suspended portion.
2015-02-11 · Dublin
The Garda Commissioner and the State have asked the High Court to dismiss a claim of malicious prosecution brought by Dublin man James Walsh. Walsh alleges that he was the victim of a malicious prosecution arising from his 2007 trial for allegedly threatening to kill and to cause serious harm to journalist Paul Williams. He was acquitted by a jury in 2007. Walsh has sued the Garda Commissioner, Ireland and the Attorney General. The State and Garda argue that Walsh's civil action has suffered from inordinate delay and want of prosecution, and that he failed to advance his case expediently. They note that Walsh's statement of claim was served in October 2009, two years after his acquittal, and that he had not attended court on two occasions, resulting in his notice of trial being struck out.