‘Dallas-style’ house at centre of High Court dispute

A receiver has taken proceedings aimed at securing possession of a "palatial" house in north Dublin described as similar to homes in the 1980s TV series Dallas.

The property has eight bedrooms, a swimming pool, a helicopter hangar and a bar and it is claimed the owners have re-occupied it and marketed it for sale for US$7.285 million.

The proceedings concern a property known as the Grange or Grange House, Ballyboughal, Co Dublin, which the bank-appointed receiver alleges has been unlawfully re-occupied by its owners Jeremiah, otherwise Jerry, Donovan and his wife Bridget.

Insolvency practitioner George Maloney, appointed as receiver over the property in May, wants various orders against the couple, including requiring them or anyone acting with them to cease trespassing and to give up vacant possession of the property.

Rossa Fanning SC, for the receiver told Mr Justice Paul Gilligan at the High Court on Wednesday, Mr Maloney secured possession of the property last June when it was unoccupied.

Counsel said the “palatial” mansion was similar to something one might see in the Dallas series.

It has eight bedrooms, five reception rooms, six bathrooms, a swimming pool, a pool room, a helicopter hangar and a bar called Donovans, “presumably named in sympathy after the owners,” counsel said.

Counsel said the defendants broke back into the property last weekend and the receiver contended they are wrongfully re occupying the property and and refusing access to Mr Maloney’s staff.

Mr Maloney is currently unable to gain access and had discovered the property has been marketed by the Donovans for sale on a website called mansionglobal.com with an asking prices of US$7.285 million, he said.

Counsel said the property is not the couple’s family home and they no longer reside there. They live in England and have extensive property interests there, including a five-bedroom house owned by Mrs Donovan near Heathrow Airport, he said.

A letter sent from solicitors acting for the Donovans said Mrs Donovan had re-entered the property so she could remove some personal items of hers, he said

The Donovans have also asserted the receiver had locked them out of the property which they claim is a family home, counsel said. Mr Maloney maintains the scenario portrayed in the correspondence is very different from what is happening on the ground and he wanted injunctions to regain possession of the property.

Mr Maloney was appointed receiver by KBC bank last May following the defendants alleged failure to satisfy a demand of €1.2m which the bank said was due and owing on loans it advanced to them in 2003 and 2005. He intends to sell the property to reduce the liability to the bank.

Mr Justice Gilligan, following an ex parte application, granted Mr Fanning permission to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings on the Donovans and returned the matter to next week.