Two former bacon factory workers have undertaken before the High Court not to continue a sit-in at the factory in a row over redundancy payments.
Given those undertakings, Ms Justice Mella Carroll granted vacant possession of the premises at McSweeney Bacon Curers Ltd, Blackrock, Cork.
The issue of whether former employees are entitled to picket the premises was adjourned to November 22nd.
Nine former workers have claimed they have been denied a proper redundancy package.
In court earlier this week, however, Dr John O'Mahony SC, for Joseph McSweeney and the firm, said the workers had been paid all their statutory entitlements and had no legal basis for their possession of the premises.
Yesterday, Dr O'Mahony said Mr McSweeney, Calderwood Court, Donnybrook, Douglas, Cork, had a proud history in food processing.
Due to changes in eating habits, however, the market for cured bacon had greatly decreased.
After some difficult years, it was decided to put the company into voluntary liquidation.
All the workers concerned had been paid the sums due to them under their respective contracts and with existing legislation.
He believed the workers were of the mistaken belief that the company owned the factory premises.
The defendants had picketed the premises until October 12th last when some or all of them broke into it. They had occupied the premises as trespassers and had refused to leave.
In evidence, Timothy Cotter said he and another former employee, Robert O'Donovan, who was also in court, represented the employees concerned. They were not legally represented.
He said they were told on July 14th that the business was closing down. The former workers had no intention of continuing to trespass on the private property of Mr McSweeney.
On establishing the nature of the ownership of the factory, they had ended the sit-in last Tuesday before the court proceedings by the company began.
They intended to continue the campaign by picketing the workplace and they asked that the court regard the dispute as a lawful industrial action that would have the protection of the court.
Mr Cotter said many of the workers had more than 20 years service with the company and had gone without a wage rise for six years to facilitate its survival.
They never even contemplated asking for a pension. They understood the factory was about to be sold by Mr McSweeney to developers for a multimillion euro sum.
"We believe we have been shabbily treated," he said. Their former employer was walking away with millions while his workers were left with nothing.