A High Court judge today declared Priory Hall developer Tom McFeely bankrupt in Ireland.
Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne rejected arguments by lawyers for Mr McFeely that his centre of main business interest was the UK and ruled his main centre of interest was the Republic of Ireland. The ruling meant it was within the power of the court to declare him a bankrupt here.
He had previously been declared bankrupt in England and Wales by a London court but this decision was rescinded following an application by a woman who has been trying to get him to pay a debt of €100,000 he owed to her.
Theresa McGuinness, from Rush, Co Dublin, then asked the High Court here to declare that the main centre of his business interests was Ireland
Ms McGuinness purchased a house from one of Mr McFeely’s companies, Coalport, in 2006. She had been awarded €100,000 in damages at the High Court in 2009 after the property was found to have serious structural faults..
Mr McFeely (64), a former IRA hunger striker, opposed this, claiming he would be 76 by the time he could get back into business if declared bankrupt here because of our strict bankruptcy regime while it would be just a year before he could get started again if it was the UK.
Today, Ms Justice Dunne said on the basis of information provided by Ms McGuinness, but also on infomation provided by Mr McFeely himself, she was satisfied his residence and main centre of business interest is in this country.
“I am not impressed by the level of information provided by Mr McFeely”, she said.
She proceeded to declare him bankrupt and ordered that he attend in person with the court official appointed to deal with his bankruptcy and provide an up-to-date address.
The judge rejected an application to put a stay on her order pending an appeal saying it was not appropriate in bankruptcy cases.