The strange case of the Daily Mail owner and his disgruntled tenants in Dublin becomes ever more curious.
Last week we reported how Lord Rothermere, the owner of Associated Newspapers, found himself on the end of a complaint to the Residential Tenancies Board in Dublin from the tenants of a house he owns in Chapelizod.
Rothermere bought the 19th-century Sunnybank just over a decade ago for €815,000 because of its links to his great-granduncle, who was born there and went on to become a media baron in London.
Late last year two tenants of the property brought a case to the RTB disputing a notice of termination served on them and also complaining about the “standard and maintenance” of the property and alleging “a breach of landlord obligations”.
Last month the RTB issued a determination, ruling it had “no jurisdiction” to hear their claim. It turns out the tenants who took the case sublet their rooms from a lead tenant, Rónán Ó Dálaigh, who had rented the entire property from Lord Rothermere.
Because of this, the RTB was unable to adjudicate on their claims as they had signed a licence contract with Ó Dálaigh – typically used by property owners renting a room to a lodger – rather than a regular lease and it was Ó Dálaigh who issued them with notices of termination.
Ó Dálaigh, who did not respond to questions about the RTB dispute, turns out to be an interesting character himself. Originally from Clondalkin, he is the chief executive of Thriftify, which was set up as a social enterprise to help charity shops sell online but went into liquidation last year.
The venture socialist, as he describes himself, is also a leading member of Extinction Rebellion. In 2023 he was convicted and fined €500 for chaining himself to the gates of the Dáil four years earlier.
We doubt Lord Rothermere, who did not respond to queries, is a fan of Extinction Rebellion. When they blockaded the Mail’s print plant in the UK in 2020, his newspaper christened them a “middle-class eco rabble who want to kill off free speech”.
Sutcliffe’s thanks for the Conor McGregor donation that apparently never was
Reacting to his election to Dublin City Council last June, former boxing coach Philip Sutcliffe reserved special praise for Conor McGregor, who he coached in Crumlin when the MMA fighter was an aspiring boxer.
Sutcliffe, who boxed in two Olympics for Ireland, posted his thanks to McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout on social media, after he won a seat in Ballyfermot/Drimnagh, for “sponsoring his campaign”.
So how much of the green stuff did McGregor’s black stuff brand give Sutcliffe, who accompanied the cage fighter to the Nikita Hand civil trial last year?
A copy of Sutcliffe’s newly filed donation statement from Dublin City Council shows he declared no donations last year. Councillors have to disclose any sums received, including the use of property or services, valued at more than €600.
This week Sutcliffe said the company did not provide any financial donation or sponsorship towards his campaign, despite what he said at the time.
“My comment was meant in a lighthearted manner, acknowledging my appreciation for their product rather than indicating any formal sponsorship or support,” he said.
“In the end, I decided to cover my outstanding invoices myself, as managing external contributions proved to be more hassle than it was worth.”
Plus ça change for Noel Kelly at RTÉ
During the Ryan Tubridy payments controversy, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said he would no longer deal directly with Tubridy’s agent, Noel Kelly, while negotiating contracts with the agent’s roll call of well-known clients.
It doesn’t seem to have harmed the career path of “talent” on Kelly’s roster with the national broadcaster. Late last year he added Spin 1038 presenter Aisling Bonner to his client list.
Last week she began a new gig on 2FM as a co-presenter of the station’s breakfast show alongside Roz Purcell and Carl Mullan, yet another client of Kelly’s. Back to business as usual.
The four Oireachtas members with more than €13,000 in prize bonds
Prize bonds were once most frequently associated with gifts from kindly aunts and uncles for Communions or Confirmations. But despite interest rates creeping up, they remain popular with our political class, according to the recently published Dáil and Seanad registers of interests.
Three TDs declared ownership of prize bonds: Robert Troy, Grace Boland and Aindrias Moynihan, while Senator Maria Byrne also declared prize bonds in her return.
While it has been pointed out by our consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope in these pages that the odds of winning is similar to the Euromillions if you have the minimum €25 investment, only those with more than €13,000 worth of prize bonds needed to declare them in their register of interests.
That’s a lot of Communion money.
Michael Guiney’s taste in gate lodges not shared by council
Michael Guiney’s department stores have been described as an Aladdin’s Cave of value – you go in for a tea towel and come out with a wheelbarrow. The retailer, who started out on Talbot Street in Dublin, has expanded to 12 shops across the country providing homeware, drapery and all manner of bargains.
But Guiney’s attempts to expand his own home in Sandyford, south Dublin, have not been as smooth. In January he applied for planning permission to restore a gate lodge in the grounds of his home, Kilgobbin Castle, and connect the structure to his existing home, via a glass corridor link, increasing the footprint of the house to create a five-bedroom home.
The planners of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council weren’t enthused by his attempts to link the gate lodge, a protected structure, to his home, beside the original Kilgobbin Castle, a ruined tower structure.
While they were supportive of the gate lodge’s restoration, they refused permission for the development, declaring it a “visually incongruous pastiche design”.
Santa’s stamp of approval
If you’re an aspiring elf looking to spread a little cheer, An Post has the job for you. This year all Santa wants for Christmas is a little help replying to children’s letters.
He has asked An Post to tender for a company or agency, preferably one running a sheltered workshop for the disabled or disadvantaged, to help respond to the 130,000 letters received each year.
While Santa replies directly to children, his little helpers will be expected to handwrite the names and addresses of up to 55,000 children each year under the contract.
Those carrying out the task are guaranteed a place on the nice list, I’m told.
