Pat McDonagh settles Supermac’s rent dispute

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

A dispute between Supermac’s founder Pat McDonagh and John and Mary Lyons, tenants of the chain’s Ennis Road outlet in Limerick, has been settled. The proceedings were reported on 2 July 2019.

The High Court appeal was listed for hearing before Mr Justice Garrett Simons on 2 July. Counsel for Mr McDonagh said the settlement included withdrawal of his appeal and the couple’s cross-appeal, with the Limerick Circuit Court’s findings remaining in place.

The findings included an order requiring Mr McDonagh to reimburse more than €150,000 in overpaid council rates and rent. Judge Terry O’Sullivan said the Lyonses’ obligation to pay rates would continue and ordered reimbursement of rates they had paid since 2009 through annual deductions from the new fixed rent of €125,000.

Counsel said an allegation that John Lyons’s signature on a franchise agreement had been forged by Mr McDonagh or anyone else was being withdrawn. The allegation followed an inspection of a copy of the agreement in March 2018.

Counsel said a letter from the couple’s solicitor stated that, after Mr Lyons and his handwriting expert inspected the original document, the couple accepted that the signature was his and had not been forged by Mr McDonagh or anyone acting on his behalf.