Coman's cleaner claims she was unfairly dismissed

A cleaner who worked for 14 years at one of Dublin's best known pubs - Coman's in Rathgar - was unfairly accused of gossiping about the Coman family before being dismissed, it was alleged yesterday.

Ms Teresa Barry told the Employment Appeals Tribunal that she had been dismissed by Mr Denis Coman, the pub manager and joint owner along with a number of his siblings.

At the time of her dismissal in December 2003, Ms Barry also worked, and continues to work, for Mr Coman's parents, Mr Patrick and Ms Mary Coman.

The ownership of the pub had been at the centre of an acrimonious legal battle between Mr and Mrs Coman and five of their six sons, including Mr Denis Coman, that lasted several years.

Recalling her last months at the pub yesterday, Ms Barry said she was accused by Mr Denis Coman of spreading rumours in the pub that there were "going to be changes". She also claimed he warned her to "keep your mouth shut if you want to keep your job".

The allegations were rejected by Mr Denis Coman at an earlier hearing in which he described them as "insulting and untrue".

Ms Barry agreed that the pub was not as clean as it could have been. She also agreed that she had been offered additional hours, but had turned these down.

She acknowledged that Mr Denis Coman had spoken to her a number of times about his requirements for extra work but she had felt she did not want to cut back on the hours she spent working for other clients.

After her dismissal by letter on December 5th last year, Ms Barry became unwell and was unable to secure employment between January and August last when she drew social welfare. She was suffering from depression.

The occasions during this period when she had helped at the home of Mr and Mrs Coman (Snr) were unpaid and she had done so only because Mrs Coman had phoned and asked her to.

Ms Barry agreed that Mr Coman had written her a glowing reference and that she had not picked up her redundancy cheque.

The counsel for Ms Barry, Mr Mel Christie, said there were five grounds for dismissal which an employer might legitimately use. The demand that a worker work additional hours was not one of them, he said.

He submitted that the tribunal should find that Ms Barry had been unfairly dismissed.

The tribunal chaired by Ms Dympna Cusack reserved its decision.