Examiner appointed in bid to save Skelligs Chocolate

Another difficulty was that the price of chocolate had increased from €6.5 per kilogram to €10.

While the Revenue Commissioners did not object to the appointment of an examiner to Seaclaidi Na Sceilge Teoranta by the Circuit Civil Court today, their barrister, Shaula Connaughton Deeny, said they reserved the right to object to the examinership at a later stage.

Judge John O’Connor appointed Joseph Walsh of JW Accountants, Dublin 4, as examiner who, under the protection of the court from the company’s creditors, will prepare a rescue scheme for the company, owned by Patrick McKillen Junior, and which currently is unable to pay its debts.

Barrister Ross Gorman, who appeared with Kane Tuohy Solicitors for the company, told the court an independent expert, Cormac Mohan, of Fitzwilliam Corporate, considered that Seaclaidi Na Sceilge, which trades as Skelligs Chocolate from its premises on the Ring of Kerry, had a reasonable prospect of survival through examinership.

Patrick McKillen Jr, of The Birches, Torquay Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18, the property developer, son of billionaire businessman Paddy McKillen, was identified as the sole director and beneficial owner of Seaclaidi Na Sceilge.

Mr Gorman told Judge O’Connor that McKillen Jr had indicated a willingness to invest funds to facilitate the company’s rescue and protect the jobs of its 24 employees. He said there may well be other unconnected parties willing to invest in the rescue scheme.

Ms Connaughton Deeny Judge O’Connor stated that the reason Revenue was reserving its position on the examinership was that the company had failed to comply with several previously agreed arrangements to reduce its near €1m debt to her clients.

Mr Gorman said Skellig Chocolate had received excellent reviews for its products, and the company’s landlord, connected to Seaclaidi Na Sceilge Teoranta, had agreed to reduce the company’s rent payments of €388,000 to €108,000 on a temporary basis.

He said the company had not availed of the warehousing revenue facility during covid, even though it qualified to do so, and had got into difficulties post covid. Another difficulty was that the price of chocolate had increased from €6.5 per kilogram to €10.

He said the Ring of Kerry tourist attraction normally opened from Easter to late October, although the company operated a year-round service for its customers, which included artisan food shops, delicatessens, grocery and bookstores, off-licenses and gift shops, together with blue-chip customers such as Arnotts, Avoca, Brown Thomas and Dublin Airport.

The company, which was incorporated in October 1998, had been bought by McKillen’s company, Keillan Limited, from former owner Colm Healy in March 2022 for €2m.

Mr Gorman said the company was insolvent and the appointment of an examiner was desirable in the expectation that he could prepare an acceptable scheme of arrangement with Seaclaidi Na Sceilge Teoranta’s creditors.

The company had approached Joseph Walsh of JW Accountants in Dublin 4 and he had agreed to act as examiner. In July 2025 Mr Colin Gaynor of Resolute Advisory had been appointed Receiver over the landlord’s interest in the company’s property but this had been challenged in the High Court and the Receiver had stepped down.

When a petition to wind-up the company had been presented a number of local politicians had publicly stated how the company’s business was very important to the area and to South Kerry.

In a company outline to the court it was stated the big three main corporates in the confectionery market were Cadbury, Nestle and Mars. In a highly competitive market the company had been forced to increase its prices on core products of between 25 and 30 per cent which, with other key raw materials and distribution costs, the increase in chocolate costs had an adverse impact on company gross margins.