Irvine ‘refused €2.2m to gain total control of two pubs’

FORMULA ONE star Eddie Irvine refused an offer of €2.2 million from his former friend and business partner John Foley in order to gain total control of two Dublin pubs for himself, an Employment Appeals Tribunal heard yesterday.

Mr Foley told an EAT hearing in Dublin that Mr Irvine had tried to take over 100% ownership of the businesses from him after he was sacked as manager of the pubs two years ago.

Both men had a 50% shareholding in Calview Investments - the company which ran Cocoon bar, off Grafton Street and O’Reilly’s on Tara Street.