Carton House chef sues over ‘team-building’ injury

A "team-building" day out for managers of a four-star luxury hotel ended with an executive head chef breaking his wrist as he took part in a relay race, the High Court has heard.

Cathal Kavanagh (54), Ongar, Dublin, executive head chef at the Carton House Spa and Golf Hotel, Maynooth, Co Kildare, was running backwards when he slipped and fell injuring his wrist.

He sued his employers, the organisers of the team-building day out and the owners of the premises where the accident occurred in October 2006.

Gerry Danaher SC, for Mr Kavanagh, who was in charge of 15 chefs at the Carton House Hotel, had received an invitation to a hotel management team building exercise to be held at the Riverbank Arts centre in Newbridge.

The management day out had started with a military hostage rescue and there was “a lot of running around”, Mr Danaher said. His client was wearing leather-soled shoes.

He said the Carton managers were then split up into two teams competing in a relay race which involved hopping across the floor on one foot and running backwards.

Mr Kavanagh had slipped, his foot went from under him and, in the fall, he broke his wrist, Mr Danaher said.

Liability denied
Mr Kavanagh sued his employer Chockablock Ltd, Carton Demesne, Maynooth; the organisers of the day out, JikiJela Ltd, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo; and Kildare County Council, owner of the Riverbank Arts Centre, over the accident. All defendants denied liability.

When the case resumed before Ms Justice Mary Irvine yesterday afternoon, she was told it had been settled and could be struck out.