A defamation action brought by businessman Dermot Desmond over an article in Village magazine was struck out yesterday after an apology to Mr Desmond was read out in the High Court.
Mr Desmond had sued magazine publishers Village Communications Ltd, its editor, Vincent Browne, and journalist Justine McCarthy over an article published on December 26th, 2006.
Yesterday, Cian Ferriter SC, for the defendants, told the High Court the parties had agreed the proceedings could be struck out on the basis of an apology being read in open court. The apology stated the article wrongly implied Mr Desmond, when chairman of Aer Rianta, had acted improperly in relation to his handling of the sale of lands by Aer Rianta to a company involving Ciarán Haughey.