A HIGH Court judge has urged further efforts over the weekend to “move on” an action related to the privacy of the home of singer Van Morrison and his wife Michelle in Dalkey, Co Dublin.
Mr Justice Michael Hanna made the recommendation yesterday when giving lawyers for Michelle Morrison until Monday to reply to a newly submitted statement on behalf of her neighbours, Mary and Desmond Kavanagh.
That statement addresses issues raised concerning trees cut down during redevelopment of the Kavanagh home next to the Morrison residence on Sorrento Road.
Mr Justice Hanna said there were “a couple of clear days” until Monday and he hoped they would be used. Comments he made earlier in the week to the effect that the case would cost someone an “awful lot of money” were becoming sharper, he added.
Day-long talks between the parties on Wednesday had failed to resolve the dispute.
Ms Morrison has brought the action against Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council with the Kavanaghs as notice parties.
Mr Justice Hanna said what concerned him was how long this case was going to last. It had been listed for two days and this was day four.
“I find squabbling between counsel at this stage to be unedifying,” he added. “I am not at this stage going to listen to poniards [daggers] being stuck into the other side.”
When the case resumed, the judge was told that Ms Morrison’s architect, Bryan Roe, who would have to reply to an affidavit from the Kavanaghs’ architect, was in London about to fly to Abu Dhabi and would not be back until next week.
Mr Justice Hanna asked if he could not be contacted by mobile phone. “The world is a village, surely he has a mobile phone, even judges have mobile phones.”
When Mr Galligan said Mr Roe would need access to documents which were here, the judge suggested solicitors should perhaps scan the documents and send them over to him.