Judgment reserved in ‘Sunday World’ case

The Sunday World has urged the Court of Appeal to overturn a €900,000 damages award made to a man after a jury found he was libelled in an article describing him as a “Traveller drug king”.

Martin McDonagh has been paid €90,000 of the €900,000 award, made in 2008, pending the outcome of the newspaper’s appeal.

Having heard arguments from both sides, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, sitting with Justices Mary Irvine and Gerard Hogan, said the court was reserving judgment.