Dublin City Council has taken court action in an attempt to stop Noel O'Gara's bid to run a tile sales business in Dartmouth Square Park, Dublin.
Circuit Court president Mr Justice Matthew Deery yesterday granted the local authority a temporary injunction restraining Mr O'Gara from running any business in the park that he bought for €10,000 in 2005.
The Athlone businessman has put the two-acre park up for sale with an asking price of €100 million but has stated he would like to turn it into a car park and apartment complex.
Carol O'Farrell, counsel for the city council, told the court yesterday the park was the subject of a High Court order restraining its unauthorised use as a car park.
Ms O'Farrell said Mr O'Gara was now selling granite and marble tiles from a caravan in the park and there had been recent widespread publicity about this and his having put the park up for sale.
Mr Justice Deery granted the council an ex parte interim injunction restraining Mr O'Gara and his company, Marble and Granite Tiles Ltd, from making an unauthorised use of the park for the advertisement, display, sale or exposure for sale of any goods or for the purpose of any trade or business.
Mr O'Gara, who has been for months embroiled in a high-profile row with the city council over the park and its potential use, was not in court yesterday.
The park is zoned as an amenity and open space area and the city council has placed a compulsory purchase order on it. Mr O'Gara bought the park from the Darley family which owned it since the early 19th century.