Michael Flatley loses High Court appeal over Cork mansion

Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley has lost an appeal over a decision to refer a dispute about his mansion in Cork to arbitration.

The three judge Court of Appeal (CoA) ruled on Thursday that he cannot bring an appeal over a part of a decision by the High Court to send his case for arbitration.

The dispute is with his former insurance company, Hiscox Societe Anonyme, over a €30m claim on the policy for his Castlehyde mansion in Fermoy.

Giving the CoA’s decision, Mr Justice Donald Binchy said he was satisfied that Section 11 of the Arbitration Act which stipulates that the High Court decision is final and there is no right of appeal “operates as a complete bar to an appeal from the High Court.”

Ms Justice Nuala Butler and Ms Justice Niamh Hyland agreed.

Counsel for Mr Flatley, Ronnie Hudson BL told the court the Riverdance star had instructed his solicitor Maxwell Mooney to bring a constitutional challenge and to instruct senior counsel on the matter. The challenge will relate to the Arbitration Act providing for no appeal from the High Court decision.

Counsel said Mr Flatley is not going to initiate arbitration with the insurance company.

Last June, Mr Flatley lost his High Court application to prevent his multi-million claim against the high-end insurance company Hiscox over alleged defective work done to Castlehyde being referred to arbitration.

The CoA heard there were two insurance policies at issue in the case and the Flatley side accepted that a claim made under a 2023/24 policy was correctly stayed by the High Court when referred for arbitration and the CoA had no jurisdiction on the matter.

Mr Flatley, in a previous affidavit, claimed Hiscox,which covered his Fermoy estate until 2024 ,was trying to re-write his consumer household policy into a commercial policy in order to rely on the Arbitration Act.

Hiscox had applied to have the proceedings – in which Mr Flatley is suing several parties over alleged damage to the mansion — stayed pending arbitration.

In the main Commercial Court proceedings, which are continuing, Mr Flatley claims he and his family had to vacate Castlehyde in October 2023 after toxic chemical residue was detected during routine maintenance. He has sued several parties, including Hiscox.

Source: Tim Healy, The Irish Independent