Magnier drops plan to appeal Barne Estate ruling

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

John Magnier has dropped his plan to appeal the High Court ruling over the Barne Estate, saying the decision was made on pragmatic grounds. A statement on his behalf said he maintained his position at trial and had acted in good faith.

The High Court had found that no land-sale or option agreement was concluded and dismissed the action. On 12 December 2025, Mr Justice Max Barrett ordered costs against Mr Magnier. The award to the Thomson-Moores was believed to exceed €4 million, excluding his own legal fees.

In making an exceptional award at the higher legal practitioner-client level, the judge said the plaintiffs had changed their story when it was found to be demonstrably untrue and that entirely false evidence had been given. He said the award reflected the conduct of the plaintiff side.

The statement on Mr Magnier’s behalf said the proposed appeal would have challenged the judge’s factual and legal findings but would not have sought to enforce the land deal or claim associated damages. It added that the appeal might have been legally moot once the Magniers were no longer pursuing a claim over the land.