Mrs Geraldine Gilligan, the separated wife of drug dealer John Gilligan, has told the High Court she lives on €80 per week from renting grazing rights at Jessbrook Equestrian Centre lands which she owns.
Mrs Gilligan, who said she legally separated from John Gilligan in 1995, said she receives €5,000 per annum for grazing rights from stud farm owner Troy Jordan and this was her only source of income, working out around €80 per week.
Today was the fourth day of an application by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) to have its legal officer appointed as a receiver over Jessbrook in Enfield, Co Meath, and other properties owned by the Gilligan family.
Cross-examined by Mr Michael McDowell SC, for Cab, about an affidvait made by her, Mrs Gilligan said she had continued to live at Jessbrook since Cab secured an order freezing the Gilligan assets in 1996.
Apart from the grazing revenue, she had, until last year, also received an income of €800 per month from rent on the former family home at Corduff Avenue, Blanchardstown.
She also previously received rent from an apartment at Jessbrook and would shortly have a new tenant in it. She paid for utility bills for Jessbrook from the rent she received for it and agreed her weekly income, after such expenses, worked out at around €80 per week.
Asked about how she paid for maintenance of Jessbrook, she said it was looked after by a friend of hers. "I have a lot of friends, Mr McDowell, to help out when I need them, manually," she said.
She agreed Jessbrook was uninsured and she was unable to afford the €10,000 to €20,000 per annum premium which Mr McDowell estimated insurance would cost.