Courts / Cork / Report
Dismissal at 'young bulls' golf course a 'fait accompli', WRC rules
Summary
A Cork golf course was ordered to pay €4,000 to a greenkeeper, Gary O'Sullivan, after he was dismissed following a dispute with owners over Covid‑19 safety. The owners, Colman and Michael Ryan and their mother Margaret, argued that the greenkeeper should be made redundant when the driving range was reduced because "young bulls of golfers" were sending balls off course, damaging property and injuring a victim. O'Sullivan claimed the dismissal was triggered by a heated argument on 29 July 2020, when he was asked to hold a bolt while the owners repaired a malfunctioning dispenser. He said he was told to take holiday pay and received no notice of redundancy until August. The WRC found the dismissal unfair, noting the employer failed to follow proper redundancy procedures, and ordered the Ryans to pay compensation equivalent to about eight weeks' pay in addition to the €16,000 redundancy payment already made.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Dismissal at 'young bulls' golf course a 'fait accompli', WRC rules. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 29 July 2020 Incident
- 15 August Other
- 2022-07-12 Publication
Why: The owners had insisted the greenkeeper had to be made redundant when they shrunk their driving range because "young bulls of golfers" were sending balls wildly off course – smashing windows and injuring one victim such that he needed dental surgery. CNI source report
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