Bankrupt Dunne loses his challenge

Developer Seán Dunne has failed to overturn his Irish bankruptcy but will apply on Monday to recover property seized by the official assignee in bankruptcy from a luxury house in Co Kildare, the ownership of which was described by a High Court judge as “somewhat vague”.

Mr Justice Brian McGovern dismissed Mr Dunne’s bid to set aside his Irish bankruptcy, meaning a dual bankruptcy process concerning the 59-year-old businessman will proceed both here and in the US.

In rejecting claims Mr Dunne was domiciled outside Ireland since 2007, the judge said he had regard to material, including an email from Gayle Dunne of Dec 2010 to Sotheby’s International Realty, stating her husband “spends far more time in Ireland than the US and has 200 employees and 3 hotels in Dublin, it is unbelievable they are describing him as a refugee who ‘left Ireland’.”