Courts / Louth / Report

Former Dundalk FC executive wins €16k for unfair dismissal

Date
2025-04-17

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dundalk

County
Louth

Summary

Martin Connolly, former chief operating officer of Dundalk Town FC, was dismissed by owner Brian Ainscough on 26 February 2024 in a brief conversation that left him without notice of the club's financial difficulties. Connolly did not return to work after the dismissal and was unemployed until May 2024, when his salary stopped. He applied for several jobs before taking a temporary factory shift at Amgen in Cabinteely, earning just under €43,000 a year. The Workplace Relations Commission found the dismissal unfair, noting no substantial grounds for termination and no conduct by Connolly warranting it. The tribunal awarded him €16,667 for four months of lost salary at his former €50,000 a year role, based on the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. The award also considered the damage to his reputation and job prospects caused by the public nature of the dismissal. The decision was made by adjudicator Kara Turner.