A widow claimed in court yesterday that Leopardstown Club Ltd and Horse Racing Ireland had put pressure on her to force her to put her sister out of a job.
Eileen Orr, whose husband died on December 4th last, said in the Dublin Circuit Civil Court that she had been providing restaurant and catering facilities in the golf centre at Leopardstown racecourse for the past 10 years.
Ms Orr, of St Patrick's Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin, told Mr Justice Matthew Deery that new premises had been developed at the golf centre and negotiators had said she was "very likely" to win the tender for running the new catering facilities.
But, she said, Matt O'Dwyer, manager of Leopardstown Racecourse; Joe O'Connor, manager of Leopardstown Golf Centre, and Mark Bolger, an accountant, had indicated she would have to deal with the "Geraldine" issue.
Ms Orr said they had reservations about her continuing to employ her sister Geraldine in the restaurant. They held the view that Geraldine was rude and upset customers.
"It seemed to me that what was being suggested was that if I did not continue to employ my sister, then I was certain to win the tender," she said.
She said that apart from the fact that Geraldine was her sister, she could not simply dismiss an employee on such a basis or in such a manner. The defendants had attempted to impose a totally unjust and immoral requirement on her.
Karl Finnegan, counsel for Ms Orr, said that when she had taken over the catering in 1996 she had been told she would have a lease and although one had never been signed, he would be ultimately arguing she was due a new lease of four years and nine months.
When the new premises had opened late last year she had continued handling the catering and she had entered into talks with the defendants who had ordered her to vacate the restaurant by yesterday.
Ms Orr was granted temporary injunctions pending a further hearing when management at Leopardstown can present its side of the case. The injunctions restrain Leopardstown Club Ltd and Horse Racing Ireland from impeding her access to the premises and from obstructing her from conducting her restaurant and catering business there.