Denise Fitzpatrick had her own cartoon war - with the Disney Corporation. So she wrote a book about it. She and her husband show Eoin Lyons around their home in Meath

Solicitor Francis Fitzpatrick was born in India, grew up in Hong Kong and was educated at Clongowes College in Co. Kildare. His wife Denise is from a farming background and was an executive with the Smurfit organisation before marriage.

They now have five young children and live in a modern architect-designed house on five acres at Skryne, near Tara, Co Meath.

The couple stepped into the spotlight when Denise conceived a cartoon character called Piggly Pooh, inspired by her childhood memories of animals on the family farm.

Their ambition to turn the character into a cartoon series for television was thwarted by the Disney Corporation who perceived it as being in conflict with its long established character Winnie The Pooh.

Undaunted by the power of this large corporation, they successfully defended a lawsuit taken against them by Disney in the European Court.

This David and Goliath story has been chronicled in the recently published Cease and Desist, written by Denise with the help of Terry Prone.

Part of the royalties from the book go to the St Vincent de Paul Society. Meanwhile, the Piggly Pooh cartoon has been produced, and is shown coast-to-coast in the United States and also on BBC.

It has been nominated for four daytime Emmy Awards and won a BAFTA for Best International Animation.

Bramblewood, the Fitzpatrick family home, was built on a site given to them by Denise's parents on part of the farm. Family is central to their lives and for obvious reasons the proximity is particularly beneficial to both grandparents and grandchildren.

Tony O'Bryan, an architect cousin, designed the house that has been decorated in a warm, comfortable style with traditional farmhouse elements updated for contemporary living. With children and the family dogs Jock and Jill running about, it teems with life.

Francis was born in Bombay where his father was a banker. He recently returned on an Enterprise Ireland trip to encourage further business contacts between Ireland and India. "Everyone else was visiting, but for me it was more like returning home", says Francis.

The setting of his childhood explains why pieces of Indian art and furniture can be found throughout the house, including a chess set in the living room that also acts as a coffee table. Bought in Mysore, it consists of a parquetry top on which handcrafted chess figures rest, such as a representation of the Maharajah on an elephant caravan. Elsewhere, a four-fold wood-panelled screen is worked with Indian motifs and in the hall,wo paper mâché elephants guard the staircase.

Also in the livingroom are a pair of old riding boots with their wooden trees; sitting on a windowsill, is a bronze sculpture by JP Mene, an American artist of the 19th century who specialised in representing horses. This piece is dated 1869 and titled L'Accolade (meaning The Winner). "It was bought in New York on a trip to sell the TV series over there," explains Francis. "We both love horses - Denise's father owns racehorses and Klaragh, our 10-year-old daughter rides, so we built stables at the back of the house."

Almost all the furniture in the house, including the dark stained wood units in the enormous kitchen, was bought from Denise's friend Miriam Peters, whose shop Minnie Peters is in Dún Laoghaire. Along one wall is an Aga cooker. "It's a very important part of the house," says Denise. "I know it's a cliché but the Aga is the heart of the home. It means the kitchen is always warm and gives a great atmosphere".

The house is situated in the heart of hunting and fishing territory and reinforcing this theme is a painting by Nora Kelly of Arkle, the racehorse owned by the Duchess of Westminster and ridden by Pat Taffe, whose son Tom trained the recent Gold Cup Winner.

Tom Draper at Kilsallaghan stables, near the Fitzpatrick's home, handled Arkle, hence the association.

In one bay window is a baby grand piano. "I used to be a music teacher and George and Klaragh now play," says Denise. The uninterrupted view from this window is of the hill of Tara and the surrounding countryside. The gardens have been landscaped but are a work in progress.

Standing in the double height hall with its bifurcated staircase, the couple appreciate their success but nonetheless remain modest. The focus of their attentions remains first and foremost with their family.

Cease and Desist by Denise Fitzpatrick with Terry Prone is published by Mercier Press, €12.99