Ireland's O'Gara sued over property deal

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Ronan O'Gara was named in a court action yesterday in which a property company sought to force him and other investors to complete pre-recession deals for apartments.

Dublin's Spencer Dock Development has taken legal proceedings in a bid to get the Munster player and other buyers to close on sales deals made at the peak of the boom.

Gemma O'Farrell, counsel for Soencer Dock Developments, yesterday told County Registrar Susan Ryan at Dublin Circuit Court that Mr O'Gara, who is being sued for "specific performance" of a property deal, was now attempting to close the sale in the docklands development.

She said Spencer Dock Development Company Ltd, of Connaught House, Burlington Road, Dublin, had agreed to an adjournment until the end of November.

The judgment is being sought against the Ireland fly-half and several other defendants for failing to have entered an appearance in the case. Mr O'Gara did not appear at the court yesterday and was not represented.

"The defendant is attempting to close the sale of the property," Ms O'Farrell told Ms Ryan.

Ms Ryan adjourned five applications brought by the company against other defendants until the end of the month.

It is the second time this year that Ms O'Gara has been pushed into the public eye over financial matters.

In August, he was ordered to pay almost €2,000 to the management company of a Greystones housing and apartment development and was named in the latest edition of debt monitor 'Stubbs Gazette'.

The gazette showed Charlesland Wood Management Company registered two judgments against Mr O'Gara in the High Court on August 11.

One judgment was for €1,290, while another was for €457. And while the rugby player continues to make the headlines for reasons other than sport, his newly published autobiography offers a candid account of the media pressure and the allegations about his personal life that made front-page news. It shows the goldfish-bowl aspect to life as a modern-day sporting legend and gives an insight into what it's like on the inside looking out.

One of the most high-profile sports books of the year, it is expected to be a Christmas best-seller. It follows O'Gara's career from his early days in Cork to his international debut and on to three Triple Crowns, as well as the Heineken Cup victories with Munster.

Sourced from: The Belfast Telegraph