'Dragons' Den' star's firm sued over rent

A COMPANY owned by Dragons' Denstar Niall O'Farrell is being sued for alleged non-payment of €20,000 rent at a flagship store.

Circuit Court civil proceedings have been served on Blacktie Ltd, Ireland’s biggest formal wear provider, seeking possession of the premises currently leased by Mr O’Farrell’s company at Main Street, Blackrock, and the payment of all rents due plus interest.

The proceedings allege the company has failed to pay monthly rent due since December 1st of €6,666.66 and there is now €20,000 outstanding on the account.

They were served at Blacktie’s headquarters in Terenure on January 16th and the landlord Seán Duignan is seeking a hearing date.

An appearance has been entered on behalf of Blacktie Ltd by the company’s solicitors, but no defence has been entered to date.

Mr O’Farrell could not be reached for comment after phone calls, texts and e-mails on Friday or by calls and texts yesterday.

Mr Duignan, a publican and property investor who lives in Sutton, north Dublin, expressed anger that Mr O'Farrell was apparently willing to offer €250,000 to budding entrepreneurs in the RTÉ Dragons' Denseries, but his company had not discharged the rent on the Blackrock premises.

Blacktie signed a 25 year lease for the premises in May 2006 and €500,000 had been spent on renovations. Mr Duignan said he had taken a previous case for the non-payment of around €20,000 in rent last February, but the case was settled before it came to hearing.

In May Blacktie agreed to pay the rent by standing order on a monthly basis from August 1st, but Mr Duignan said the company has now reneged on that agreement. He said the last rent payment was made on November 11th.

Mr O’Farrell founded Blacktie in 1985. The company has 17 stores including 11 in Dublin. He also owns the upmarket shirt makers Henry Jermyn.

On Dragons Den, he was introduced as the founder of Blacktie Ltd and as controlling "a major property empire" as well as significant investments in technology, food and the drinks industry." Mr O'Farrell owns a house on Shrewsbury Road in Dublin 4 along with a castle in Dalkey.

The first Dragons' Denwas recorded in November, before the company stopped paying rent on the premises.