A defamation action brought by the late Galway businessman Ian Quinn against a neighbour has been formally settled.
The action was brought against David Corbett of St Cleran’s, Craughwell, Co Galway after it was claimed he had erected defamatory signs in December 2012 stating that the Photographing of Children was prohibited.
As part of the settlement, the High Court heard it was now fully accepted that Mr Quinn, who died late last year, did not take any inappropriate photographs.
The signs were erected on Mr Corbett’s land, which adjoin Mr Quinn’s property, and could be seen from Mr Quinn’s family home, an 18-century estate known as the Manor House, St Cleran’s, Craughwell, Co Galway.
The signs were taken down a few days later after Mr Quinn obtained a High Court injunction.
Mr Quinn claimed in his defamation action against Mr Corbett that the signs wrongly inferred that Mr Quinn had taken inappropriate photographs of a child without their consent, or the consent of the child’s parents.
Mr Quinn, founder of medical devices firm Creganna, claimed the statements on the sign were untrue, caused him considerable distress, and damaged his reputation.
He claimed that the words and images used on the signs were defamatory, meant that he was a danger to children, and should be shunned by society.
He had sought damages, including aggravated damages from Mr Corbett.
In his defence, Mr Corbett, a hotelier, denied all claims of wrongdoing made against him. He had initially claimed Mr Quinn had in 2012 taken a picture of his young son.
When the late Mr Quinn’s defamation action came before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds on Thursday, the judge was told by Paul O’Higgins SC, instructed by Johnsons Solicitors, for the plaintiff, that Mr Quinn’s proceedings had been settled on terms agreed shortly before his client’s death last December.
While the settlement was confidential, it was agreed that a statement could be read to the court.
The statement said that in December 2012 Mr Corbett accepted erecting signs on his land stating that the “Photographing of Children was prohibited”.
Despite his belief to the contrary at the time, Mr Corbett now accepts that Mr Quinn did not take any inappropriate photographs, the statement added.
The proceedings by the parties had been fully resolved and could be struck out; the statement concluded.
Counsel said that the striking out order was on consent of all parties.
It was claimed that the parties got into dispute over boundaries and access routes from Mr Quinn’s family home.
The dispute between Mr Quinn and Mr Corbett commenced shortly after the businessman acquired the estate in 2012.
That 43-acre property was previously owned by the US film director John Houston, before being sold to prominent American television host Merv Griffin.
The 1,115 sq m (12,000 sq ft) manor had also had been used as a hotel until 2008.
