Children step up battle for Donegal emigrant’s €300m fortune

The children of one of Ireland’s most successful businessmen have escalated their ongoing court dispute over his €300m fortune.

Hugh Green was penniless when he left his native Co Donegal for New Zealand in 1951.

However, he built a massive corporation through construction, farming, and property investment before he died in 2012 aged 80.

Mr Green never forgot his roots, often returning to spend summers in Letterkenny and making large donations to many local organisations, including Letterkenny General Hospital.

He was honoured as Donegal Person of the Year shortly before his death.

However, a massive disagreement between his children over his empire has now cast a dark shadow over his legacy.

Shortly before his death, changes were made to the governance of the trusts and companies that managed Mr Green’s assets.

Son John and daughter Frances were appointed as directors and trustees of the various bodies, while his other daughter, Maryanne, ended her trustee and director roles.

John and Frances were appointed executors of a new will for Mr Green that was signed in April 2012, months before he died.

Maryanne is challenging the validity of the new will and other powers exercised by her father in late 2011 and early 2012, claiming that he was not of sound mind.

She claims that Mr Green was improperly influenced by John and Auckland barrister Michael Fisher, who has been appointed to various roles in the Green business empire.

A ruling from Chief High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann is due within the next two months.

However, his feuding family returned to the High Court in Auckland this week.

Maryanne is seeking to stop new trustees from being appointed to the estate, or significant distributions being made from it, until the judgment is issued.

Justice Winkelmann said the court’s time was being wasted, and suggested that the two parties should be able to resolve the issue independently.

She adjourned the hearing to give the defence counsel time to consult with the trustees.

Maryanne’s lawyer, Vanessa Bruton, said she would seek an urgent hearing if the matter was not resolved by the end of the Easter break.

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