A dispute over the right to take photos of people kissing the Blarney Stone was settled at the High Court yesterday.
Quaid Gallery Ltd, which has taken photos of people kissing the famous stone since 1990 and boosted its business to sales of €250,000 last year, had challenged a decision to terminate its lease for photography services at Blarney Castle. The company said it appeared the Blarney estate was proposing to take over photography at the castle.
When the case was called yesterday, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was told the sides were involved in settlement talks and the judge allowed time for negotiations to continue outside the courtroom.
Shortly afterwards Mr Hugh O'Neill SC, for Mr Charles Colthurst, owner of Blarney Castle, said the matter had been settled on terms which included an undertaking from the Quaid Gallery Ltd that Mr John Quaid would vacate the property involved by March 31st.
In an affidavit presented at an earlier hearing, Ms Catherine Quaid said she and her father John had been operating a photography service at Blarney Castle since 1990 from a kiosk in the grounds of the castle.
The Quaid Gallery occupied the kiosk some 183 days of the year and initially paid Ir£1,200 rent per year which rose in 2004 to €4,500 per year.
Ms Quaid said she was extremely surprised and upset when her company received a letter on February 21st, 2006, from Mall Management, agents for Blarney Castle, saying that with effect from spring 2007 Blarney estate would make new arrangements for photography at the castle and the Quaid company's facility would cease.
The Quaid company was invited in December 2006 to tender for the Blarney Stone souvenir photographic business which referred to the digital equipment and aerials placed on the lands by her company with the defendants consent.