Sinead O'Connor may represent herself in action brought by former manager, court hears
Singer Sinead O'Connor may represent herself in legal actions brought against her by her former manager Fachtna O'Ceallaigh and his company for alleged breach of contract and defamation, the High Court has heard.
Ms O'Connor denies the claims.
The case was mentioned before Mr Justice Seamus Noonan today who was informed that the singer no longer wished to be represented in the proceedings by her current legal team.
John Gordon SC for Mr O'Ceallaigh and TAL Management, a company Mr O'Ceallaigh owns and controls, said this was the third time the singer had "fired" the lawyers she had engaged to defend the proceedings.
Counsel said his clients had brought a pretrial motion seeking to have both defamation and breach of contract cases heard by the same judge, having forgone the option of having the case heard before a jury counsel said.
Mr O'Ceallaigh and his company want the case heard as soon as possible.
Counsel claimed Ms O'Connor was "manipulating the system," and in proceedings that were commenced in 2012, it had taken his clients two and a half years to get 50 documents discovered to them by Ms O'Connor.
Counsel added the singer had also sent his client and his solicitor several emails. In one of the emails, Ms O'Connor said she was going to represent herself in the proceedings.
David Quinn Bl instructed by Mathesons Solicitors said Ms O'Connor had informed them she no longer wanted them to represent her in the action and they would be bringing a motion to come off record for the singer.
The Judge noting the situation adjourned the matter to a date in October, for case management.
He said the hearing of pretrial issues in the cases would go ahead on that date, irrespective of whether the singer had "no solicitor or a new solicitor" to represent her.
Neither Ms O'Connor nor Mr O'Ceallaigh was present in court today.
In proceedings against the singer, Mr Ceallaigh and TAL Management Limited claim the firm provided managerial services to the singer for several years for an agreed monthly fee plus commission and expenses.
In 2011 he claims the company was substituted for him under a new agreement. While it was not executed it is claimed the parties performed the terms of the new agreement.
In April 2012 he claims that without warning the singer terminated the agreement.
It is claimed she was not entitled to do that and he seeks upwards of €500,000 damages for breach of contract, as well as a declaration that the management agreement was not validly terminated.
Mr O'Cealliagh of Lansdowne Park Ballsbridge Dublin 4 also claims he was defamed by the singer in an open letter published on her website and on a fans website in 2012, in reply to a newspaper article that referred to the ending of their commercial relationship.
The claims are denied. The singer denies she ever had an agreement with TAL or Mr O'Ceallaigh as alleged or that he and the company are entitled to damages.
She also denies defaming him.
