Mother told to vacate home

An unemployed Dublin mother has been told by a judge in the Circuit Civil Court to vacate a house belonging to her former live-in partner and in which she had been living rent free for 22 years.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane said Ita Clarke had been fully aware that former partner airline pilot Ruadhan Neeson, the father of her children, was under extremely severe financial circumstances and that a bank had threatened to repossess the house at Emerald Mews (correct in the Civil Bill), Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin.

Ms Clarke had denied Mr Neeson was the owner of the house, which has recently been valued at €560,000. She had claimed adverse possession of the property.