Rugby great Shane Horgan sued for repossession of €675,000 Dublin property

When the case came before Thursday's possession list, the county registrar directed that Shane Horgan be called both in court and over the tannoy system. However, neither Mr Horgan nor any legal representative on his behalf appeared

Dublin county registrar Patricia Hickey was told that Shane Horgan, who lined out for Leinster, Ireland, and the British and Irish Lions, had failed to turn up in her court to answer the bank’s bid to recover the property on foot of arrears. File picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Rugby great and television analyst Shane Horgan has been sued by Pepper Finance Corporation (Ireland) for repossession of his €675,000 property at John Dillon St, Christchurch, Dublin 8.

Dublin county registrar Patricia Hickey was told that Mr Horgan, aged 48, who lined out for Leinster, Ireland, and the British and Irish Lions, had failed to turn up in her court to answer the bank’s bid to recover the property on foot of arrears.

Stephanie Donald BL, appearing for the bank with Shaula Connaughton-Deeny and Cork-based solicitors RDJ, told Ms Hickey that Pepper Finance had attempted to serve the possession proceedings on Mr Horgan by registered post. However, the letter was returned by An Post marked "not called for".

The bank’s civil bill, which was opened to Ms Hickey, claimed that Pepper Finance had taken over Irish Life and Permanent TSB’s €675,000 loan granted to Horgan on June 1, 2006, and was seeking to recover the property or full repayment of the now outstanding total debt of €684,664.

The bank alleged that Mr Horgan had reneged on mortgage repayments to the extent of €8,889, with arrears included in the total debt.

When the case came before Thursday's possession list, Ms Hickey directed that Mr Horgan be called both in court and over the tannoy system. However, neither Mr Horgan nor any legal representative on his behalf appeared.

Ms Hickey asked Ms Donald if she or the bank’s solicitors knew where he was. 

Ms Donald said RDJ Solicitors were going to take up that matter and would be attempting to make personal service on Mr Horgan.

Ms Hickey adjourned the proceedings for three months to facilitate service.

In the absence of effective service of the proceedings on Mr Horgan, he would not have known of the bank’s attempt on Thursday to recover his property, the address of which was stated to be Zero, John Dillon Street, Christchurch, Dublin 8.

The bank claimed Mr Horgan had been registered as full owner of the property on May 12, 2011, and a condition of the mortgage provided that the total debt shall become immediately repayable if he defaulted in the making of two-monthly repayments.

The civil bill states that the bank's solicitors wrote to Mr Horgan on January 23, 2025, demanding that he vacate the property within seven days and warning that possession proceedings would be initiated if he failed to do so.

“Despite the letter, the defendant failed to deliver up possession of the premises,” the civil bill stated.

The proceedings stand adjourned.