Pat Kenny to learn land-battle outcome

Late Late Show host Pat Kenny will learn today whether he has successfully stopped a long and costly legal battle with his neighbour over a piece of cliff-top land.

In a last-ditch attempt to halt a High Court challenge over the dispute, Kenny’s lawyers told the court a set of aerial photographs have been held back, interfering with their case.

They said his 72-year-old neighbour Gerard Charlton, who suffers from heart trouble, wanted to keep the pictures for tactical advantage in court.

Mr Justice Frank Clarke will rule this morning whether the court battle should be stopped.

The row, between Kenny and his wife Cathy and Mr Charlton and his wife Maeve, is over the ownership of the small strip of land known as Gorse Hill between their homes in Dalkey.

Mr Charlton claims he owns the site, but Kenny has argued he acquired title to the land – which runs the length of his home – following adverse possession or squatter’s rights.

If Mr Justice Clarke rules against Kenny the case will go straight to full hearing tomorrow with a second judge and is likely to run for four weeks and run up a legal bill of millions.

The patch of land under dispute is worth around €1.5m but if combined with adjacent sites it is thought it could be valued up to €10m.