Former manager to seek damages of €500k from singer Sinead O’Connor

Singer Sinead O’Connor is being sued by her former manager Fachtna O’Ceallaigh and his company for alleged breach of contract and defamation, reports Ann O’Loughlin.

Former manager to seek damages of €500k from singer Sinead O’Connor

Singer Sinead O’Connor is being sued by her former manager Fachtna O’Ceallaigh and his company for alleged breach of contract and defamation, reports Ann O’Loughlin.

Mr O’Ceallaigh is seeking upwards of €500,000 damages for breach of contract, as well as declaration that a management agreement was not validly terminated.

The action has been brought by Mr O’Ceallaigh who claims he provided managerial services to the singer for several years for an agreed monthly fee plus commission and expenses. The case is also being brought by Mr O’Ceallaigh’s company TAL Management Limited.

In 2011 Mr O’Ceallaigh claims the company was substituted for him under a new agreement. While it was not executed it is claimed the parties performed the terms of the new agreement.

In April 2012 he claims that without warning Sinead O’Connor terminated the agreement. It is claimed she was not entitled to do that and he seeks upwards of €500,000 damages for breach of contract, as well as declaration that the management agreement was not validly terminated.

Mr O’Cealliagh of Lansdowne Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 also claims he was defamed by the singer in an open letter published on her website and on a fan website in 2012, in reply to a newspaper article that referred to the ending of their commercial relationship.

The claims are denied. The singer denies that she ever had any agreement with TAL or Mr O’Ceallaigh as alleged or that he and the company are entitled to damages.

She also denies his claims that she defamed him in the open letter as alleged.

A pretrial issue in the proceedings came before the Master of the High Court Mr Edmond Honohan today.

Mark Curran Bl for Mr O’Ceallaigh and TAL Management asked the Master for orders striking out Ms O’Connor’s defences to the claims on the grounds that she had failed to comply with orders made for the discovery of documents and materials relevant to the case.

Counsel said the singer had consented to those discovery orders, but discovery had not been made.

Counsel said Mr O’Ceallaigh requires the materials sought in order to progress actions he had launched some years ago, and said the failure to provide the material had the effect of denying him justice.

Counsel said his client is not a wealthy man with many clients and is aged in his seventies.

In reply Eoin O Shea Bl for Ms O’Connor said the application to strike out her defences should be dismissed. Counsel said Ms O’Connor had "rock solid" defences to the claims.

It was accepted that the order for discovery had not been complied with.

Counsel said his client, who had switched solicitors twice since the proceedings were initiated, was taking steps to comply.

Her actions were not those of somebody trying to delay the process, counsel said.

There were further difficulties caused by the singers ill heath, counsel added.

Counsel said not all the delay was due to his client. Counsel said the Mr O’Ceallaigh had done nothing for a year, and for a period the plaintiff company had been struck off for failing to file annual returns, before being reinstated.

The Master said he was not going to sanction Ms O’Connor by striking out her defence, and granted the singer and her legal team an additional three months to comply with the discovery order.

He said he was "disheartened" that matters had not been progressed.

However he suggested that the actions could be progressed by Mr O’Ceallaigh in the absence of discovery by Ms O’Connor. The court hearing the cases could take its own view on any failure to discover materials, the Master added.

Neither Ms O’Connor nor Mr O’Ceallaigh were present before the Master for the brief hearing today.

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

DUP Hold Crunch Meeting To Decide On Return To Stormont Jeffrey Donaldson steps down as DUP leader amid ‘historical’ sex offence charges
Berlin UKB Hospital Is Among Germany's Most Modern Nearly 10,000 people left waiting on trolleys across country in March
Spring weather Mar 28th 2024 Here's what to expect from weather and travel this Easter weekend
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited