A former Miss Ireland has settled her High Court action for damages arising from a dispute over her involvement in a Dublin city centre beauty business, the Babe Nail and Face Place.
The amount of the settlement was not disclosed yesterday and the terms of settlement include a confidentiality clause.
Anne Marie Gannon, Clontarf, Dublin, had claimed she had reached an agreement in 2000 under which she was to be appointed general manager of the Babe Nail and Face Place, Drury Street, Dublin with an annual salary of £42,000, a company car and expenses.
She also claimed a company, known as Babe Nail Bar Ltd, was to be established to operate the business and that she was to receive a 15 per cent shareholding in that company.
Ms Gannon alleged she had fulfilled her part of the alleged agreement with the defendants but that the defendants had wrongfully terminated her contract.
The action was brought against John Meaney O'Brien, Southill, Rochestown Avenue, Dún Laoghaire; Seán Conlon, Westmanstown, Newcastle, Co Dublin, and Eurosales International Ltd and Babe Nail Bar Ltd, both Robinhood Business Park, Naas Road, Co Dublin.
The defendants denied the claims and pleaded it was Mr Meaney O'Brien and Mr Conlon who had come up with the idea of a nail bar, not Ms Gannon. The defendants claimed they agreed to engage her only as a consultant. Any work she had done in the business was as a consultant and not otherwise and Ms Gannon had been paid for any works performed, it was pleaded.
The action was due to open yesterday morning before Mr Justice John McMenamin and Ms Gannon and the defendants were in court. However, John O'Donnell SC, for Ms Gannon asked for time and talks then got under way between lawyers.
Just after noon, Mr O'Donnell told the judge the case had been resolved and could be adjourned until January 27th to allow terms of settlement, which were confidential, to be implemented. Bill Shipsey SC and Michael Howard SC for the defendants, agreed.
The judge said he had no doubt the resolution of the action was in the interests of both parties and adjourned to January 27th.