Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley is embroiled in another legal battle in the High Court - this time with his former solicitor.
The entertainer is seeking to compel Maxwell Mooney and Company solicitors to hand over the files relating to proceedings about and linked to his Cork mansion Castlehyde in Fermoy, Co Cork.
The legal row has erupted amid allegations on both sides about legal fees and an alleged hold on files.
Flatley’s new legal team, Niall Buckley with Katie Nagle, instructed by Barry Creed of Creed McStay solicitors, in an ex-parte application to the High Court on Monday afternoon, was granted short service to serve notice of the proceedings on Mooney.
READ MORE
The case, where the Flatley side is seeking that Mooney be directed to produce or deliver the client files in respect of all legal services provided to Flatley, will be heard by the High Court on Friday.
The Flatley side is also seeking an order compelling Mooney, with an office at Maynooth, Co Kildare, to provide a copy of the Flatley client account.
Granting the short service in the ex-parte application where only the Flatley side was represented, the president of the High Court, Justice David Barniville, said there appeared to be a clear dispute between the parties.
He also noted that Flatley’s appeal against a €1.1 million security-for-costs order made against him in his €30 million court action over works carried out at his Cork mansion had to be adjourned, because his new legal team allegedly did not have discovery documentation.
In an affidavit to the High Court to ground his application, the entertainer said it was not correct that invoices relating to legal fees have not been paid to Mooney.
Flatley said he could confirm the payments set out in the affidavit of his new solicitor, which stipulated that a total of €487,837 had been paid by Flatley or on his behalf between May 2022 and August 2025. Creed stated it was unclear whether €290,000 had been applied as fees or whether they remain held on account.
Flatley also alleged in the document before the court that there was a failure to provide all client account information, which he claimed he requested three months ago. This, Flatley alleges, is impeding the orderly progression of his litigation.
Flatley, in the affidavit, said in July last year he was concerned about how his proceedings were being managed “and in particular the many negative headlines which were published about me”.
“At all time I was informed that matters were progressing positively. However, the media depicted a very different picture,” he claimed.
He said Creed McStay solicitors now represent him in the two proceedings before the court, including his €30 million action over works carried out at his Cork mansion. He said he believes and has been advised “that I am at a substantive disadvantage and prejudiced in the proper progression of those proceedings”.
In an affidavit, Creed said a notice of a change of solicitors was filed on December 10th, 2025. Creed said extensive correspondence was exchanged with Mooney, and Mooney wrote that his office was “exercising a general lien” over all files and papers relating to Flatley “until we and counsel are paid in full”.
The case will come back before the court on Friday.
