Brian Gartland awarded €64,433.90 after whistleblower dismissal

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Dundalk FC’s former football director Brian Gartland was awarded €64,433.90 after the Workplace Relations Commission found his dismissal was an act of whistleblower penalisation. The proceedings were reported on 29 January 2025.

Adjudicator Conor Stokes held a hearing in November 2024 without Dundalk FC management present. He said the club had been on notice of the claims since July 2024, despite correspondence from its new owner saying he had just taken over and was unaware of the proceedings.

Gartland told the WRC he made protected disclosures about health and safety on 19 and 22 April 2024. He said he was concerned about players playing repeatedly after returning from injury. He said the club’s then-owner fired him during a phone call on 11 May 2024 and later asked him to return, an offer he declined.

Stokes found the club had breached the Unfair Dismissals Act and awarded Gartland €52,629.62 for his dismissal, covering his loss after he found new work. He awarded €3,727.36 for a breach concerning written employment terms and also found a breach of the Payment of Wages Act over a pay rise. The total award was €64,433.90.