(Pictured: Mr Peter Bellew. Credit: Collins)

A judge has ruled that Ryanair must only pay a portion of the legal costs of its former Chief Operations Officer Peter Bellew for having to defend the airline’s failed legal bid to block his move to rivals EasyJet.

Ryanair had sought to compel Mr Bellew to comply with a covenant that he would not join a competitor for a year following termination of work with Ryanair

Last month, when dismissing Ryanair’s action following an eight-day hearing, Mr Justice Senan ruled that a clause in Mr Bellew’s contract restraining him from working for another airline for 12 ….read more

An Environmental Non-Governmental Organisation has launched a High Court challenge against the Environment Protection Agency’s decision to accept an application for the industrial extraction of peat.

The action has been brought by the Friends of the Irish Environment, which has asked the court to quash a decision made by the EPA last October to accept an application by a company called Harte Peat Ltd for an integrated Pollution Control licence for ongoing peat extraction at Finea in Co Westmeath.

In its action against the EPA, and where Harte Peat is a notice party, the NGO claims that the decision to accept the ….read more

A High Court action taken by a well-known basketball club over a 30-day suspension imposed on 11 of its teams has been resolved.

Last week St Vincent’s Basketball Club in Dublin secured a temporary High Court injunction halting the imposition of a suspension imposed on its activities and teams, including its underage teams, by the Dublin Men’s Basketball Board (DMBB).

The injunction was granted on an ex-parte basis by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds.

The suspension related to issues including the registrations of a number of adult players by the club.

When the matter returned before the High Court on Tuesday, Anthony Thuillier BL for ….read more

The High Court has approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) allowing a Clare-based man write down almost all of his €60m debts.

At the High Court on Monday, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey approved a PIA in respect of Enda Patrick Whelan of College Grove, Ennis, Co Clare.

Mr Whelan’s creditors include National Asset Loan Management (NALM), which is a company of Nama and was owed some €56.4m arising out of personal guarantees he had given in respect in respect of four companies owned by his family.

The firms were all part of the Whelan Group of companies, which were involved in the ….read more

The High Court has approved a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) for a Co Meath-based businessman with debts of over €2m.

The PIA was granted in favour of Neal Sweeney, of Liscarton House, Navan Co Meath.

The PIA is the first to be approved by the High Court which involves a debt for equity swap. The PIA was approved in a recent decision by Mr Justice Denis McDonald.

Mr Sweeney’s main secured creditor is financial fund Promontoria Scarriff DAC. Other creditors include Promontoria Finn Ltd, and Cabot Finance Ireland Ltd.

The application to approve Mr Sweeney’s PIA, where his main creditor has accepted a ….read more

Limerick FC’s High Court action against the Football Association of Ireland, over what the soccer club claims would have been its exclusion from participating in the League of Ireland, has been settled.

The case was formally struck out by Mr Justice Leoine Reynolds on Monday, after the judge was informed by Fank Callinan SC, appearing with Jack Nicholas BL, for Limerick that the parties had resolved their dispute, and the proceedings could be struck out.

The settlement came after the FAI issued a statement last Friday that Limerick FC can apply for a licence to compete in the SSE Airtricity League First ….read more

(File Picture: Ms Theresa Lowe & Mr Frank McNamara. Credit: Collins)

The High Court hopes to make a final ruling in the next five to six weeks on an application to approve personal insolvency arrangements allowing musician Frank McNamara and his wife, barrister Theresa Lowe, deal with debts of €3.7m.

Last year Mr Justice Denis McDonald said that he was minded to approving the PIA but wanted certain matters concerning Mr McNamara’s inheritance from his parent’s estate clarified.

The judge said, when handing down the decision last August, that he was not prepared to allow matters to proceed any further until ….read more

Oil and gas exploration firm Petrel Resources Plc has secured a temporary High Court injunction preventing some of its investors from unlawfully selling any newly issued shares in the company.

Petrel claims that last year it entered into what it believed was a long-term investment agreement, aimed at expanding its businesses, with several individuals who are experts in the area of fossil fuel exploration.

Seeking the injunction Gary McCarthy SC, for Petrel, said that as part of that deal the investors entered into an agreement, known as a ‘locked-in’ agreement, where they agreed not to sell any of their shares until August ….read more

Discussions aimed at resolving Limerick FC’s legal action against the Football Association of Ireland over what the soccer club claims is its exclusion from participating in the League of Ireland are on-going, will continue over the weekend.

Earlier this week the club commenced proceedings against the FAI over the association’s alleged failure to invite Limerick to submit an application for a licence to allow it play in the League of Ireland First Division during the 2020 season.

The case had returned before the High Court on Thursday, when the court was told that discussions were underway aimed at resolving the dispute

The parties ….read more

(File Picture: SF President Ms Mary Lou McDonald. Credit: Collins)

Pretrial motions in defamation proceedings brought by Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald against Fianna Fail TD Declan Breathnach has been adjourned to July.

Ms McDonald has sued the Co Louth TD over a post he published on Twitter on October 11th 2018 in reply to a tweet she had posted in support of the now-retired Garda Maurice McCabe.

The claims are denied.

Ms McDonald claims that Mr Breathnach’s tweet meant that her sympathy for Mr McCabe was disingenuous, insincere and that she is a hypocrite.

Represented by Tom Hogan SC, Ms McDonald also ….read more