Vow to live on golf course until €700k fees paid

THE man who blockaded a €40 million golf resort to secure almost €700,000 in court-awarded fees vowed last night to live on the course until its developers pay up.

Mel Flanagan of Irish Golf Design moved in to a caravan parked just inside the gates of the Blarney Golf Resort in Cork yesterday.

He said he won’t budge until he gets his money from the resort’s developers, Kelcar Developments.

“I am prepared to stay here for a month,” he said.

He may be joined by his wife Imelda next week.

Mr Flanagan blockaded the resort on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to secure a total of €678,268 arising from a contractual dispute with Kelcar.

Irish Golf Design was engaged to build the 18-hole John Daly-designed championship golf course in 2005. But a dispute arose towards the end of the building work and the firm was kicked off the project.

The dispute ended up in the High Court, where it was heard Kelcar had terminated Irish Golf Design’s e3m contract to build the course and had employed sub-contractors to finish the work, which, it was alleged, was 95% complete.

Following a lengthy arbitration process, the High Court ruled that Irish Golf Design be paid a total of €678,268 in costs and interest penalties. However, not a cent has been paid.

Mr Flanagan used a tractor to prevent dozens of golfers from entering the resort on Thursday in an effort to secure payment.

He called off his protest after Kelcar director Frank McCarthy agreed to meet him.

The men spent several hours negotiating at a local hotel but Mr Flanagan walked out in despair.

“The talks didn’t even get off the ground,” he said yesterday.

He said Mr McCarthy had offered to pay some of the money in stages. But he said his small company has bills to pay and can’t afford to carry the costs any longer.

“I’ve done everything by the book and I have a High Court award. I’m not leaving until I get my money,” he said.

Mr McCarthy said he will continue to discuss the matter with Mr Flanagan.

“We are happy to pay the costs,” he said.

But under the court ruling, Kelcar had been awarded costs of just over €120,000, he said.

“What we have been trying to do over the last few months was come to some arrangement whereby we could take that amount off the overall award,” he said.

“I felt there was a tentative resolution on Thursday. I spoke to Mr Flanagan several times yesterday and agreed to meet him again.

“I am confident we can come to a resolution on this. I am committed to resolving the issue and I think it can be resolved.”

Kelcar has developed tax-driven housing schemes in Waterford and housing for Cork City Council. The Blarney Golf Resort is its biggest project to date.

Mr McCarthy said his firm has a good payment history, pays its creditors on time and does not have outstanding debts.

Despite the row, it’s business as usual at the resort.

Irish Golf Design Limited is one of the country’s top golf course design and build firms. It built the award-winning Dunmurray Springs in Kildare, named Ireland’s number one golf course by the US magazine The Golfer.

Mr Flanagan has also worked with Nick Faldo on the Lough Rynn Golf Course in Co Leitrim.

A native of Boyle, Co Roscommon, Mr Flanagan is well-known in golfing circles, has taught golf, written several books, and was the golf expert on RTÉ’s Live at Three programme.