Supreme Court:The four adult children of solicitor Brian O'Donnell have told the Supreme Court that they have insufficient resources to defend proceedings against them in the Commercial Court, the division of the High Court which fast-tracks urgent commercial cases.

The four are involved in proceedings where Bank of Ireland, which is pursuing their parents for judgments of some €75 million over unpaid loans for property investments, disputes a claim the family home at Gorse Hill, Killiney, Co Dublin, is owned by the children via a trust.

At the Supreme Court yesterday, Ross Maguire SC, representing Blake, Bruce, Blaise and Alexandra O’Donnell, said his clients were appealing a decision of Mr Justice Peter Kelly agreeing to fast-track to the Commercial Court the action over ownership of the contents of Gorse Hill.

The matter was put back until next month after Mr Maguire agreed to a suggestion from the three-judge Supreme Court to first apply for an adjournment of the Commercial Court case.