League of Ireland soccer club St Patrick's Athletic has agreed before the High Court not to terminate the employment of its chief executive, Bernard O'Byrne, other than by mutual consent.
Counsel for the club, Alan Doherty, said yesterday that the club's board would like negotiations about the termination of Mr O'Byrne's employment to continue but, he added, the club would undertake not to terminate that employment unilaterally.
Mr Doherty said an interim injunction on Monday last restraining termination of Mr O'Byrne's employment had been wrongly obtained because negotiations had been ongoing with the chief executive and he was participating in those.
He added the club was prepared to give an undertaking to the court not to end unilaterally Mr O'Byrne's employment pending the outcome of any full legal proceedings that might be brought against the club.
Roddy Horan, for Mr O'Byrne, said his client was happy with such an undertaking.
On the basis of the undertaking, Mr Justice Thomas Smyth said he would discharge the interim order against the club and adjourn the matter.
Mr O'Byrne, a former chief executive officer of the Football Association of Ireland, took up the position of chief executive at St Patrick's last April and was given a two-year contract.