Father and son appear in Portlaoise court following dispute over land

Bail was granted to a man who appeared in court accused of breaching a safety order against his father in a dispute over land. 

The man (27), who has a midlands address and cannot be named due to the nature of proceedings, was accused of breaching a safety order at his address on March 21, 2026. 

Gardaí objected to bail and said it was the third alleged breach of an order since September 2025. 

A Garda told the sitting of Portlaoise District Court that the breach was over a “dispute in relation to the rights to land at a farm”. He said the father is “fearful” following the third allegation of a safety order breach. 

He said a will had been left in relation to a house and farm which stipulated that the son was entitled to both but the father had a right to live there for the rest of his life. The will was made by the son’s grandmother in 2024. 

Solicitor Brian Duffy said two previous alleged breaches went to hearing and were dismissed by Judge Andrew Cody. 

“My understanding is that my client owns the house”, said Mr Duffy. He asked the Garda if there were any issues when he was dealing with his client. The Garda said there wasn’t. 

The father then took the stand and said “my understanding is that I own the house and farm until my death”.  He said his son “thinks he owns the whole lot now”. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby asked the man for details of the latest alleged breach of the safety order. 

The man said he had been spraying in a field and his son appeared and said, “you can’t be up in this field, it is my property”.  The man said his son was very aggressive and he had been terrified. “I am in fear of my son”, the man said. 

When asked about the allegation by Mr Duffy, the man said his son had rented the field to someone else.  “It is not his field. It is my field and that is the issue”, he stated.  

“As far as I am concerned the land is mine for my lifetime”, the man said. He produced a copy of a will during the hearing. 

Mr Duffy asked who lived at the house. The man said his partner lived there. 

Judge Susan Fay asked to look at the will and then asked Mr Duffy to look at it. Mr Duffy said he didn’t see where the will was witnessed and he couldn’t tell if it was the latest will. 

Sgt Kirby suggested the matter be sent back before Judge Cody as he had dealt with it before. 

Judge Fay asked Mr Duffy if his client would agree to reside elsewhere for a few days until the case could be heard by Judge Cody. 

The son told Judge Fay he had nowhere else to go. Mr Duffy said the man had lived at the house with his father for the past three years. 

The son then gave evidence. He said he had lived all his life on the farm. He told Judge Fay that he went out and asked his father what he was doing when he saw him in the field. “I just asked a question, there was no problem at all,” he said. 

The man said he would agree not to have any contact with his father. “Nothing is going to happen between then (court date) and now,” he said. 

Sgt Kirby asked the accused about his father. “This man was perfectly entitled to be in that field”, he told him. 

“I don’t know was he or wasn’t he,” the son replied. Sgt Kirby asked the man what the farm was worth? “I honestly don’t know,” the man replied. 

Sgt Kirby asked the man if he could stay at a hotel until the court date. 

Mr Duffy said his client was on jobseekers allowance. 

Judge Fay asked the man who was receiving the farm entitlements. 

“I am not sure. I am not anyway,” the man replied. 

Judge Fay asked if the man had a herd number. He said he was in the process of getting one. 

“Would you agree not to engage in any farming as a condition of bail?” asked Judge Fay. The man said he would. 

Judge Fay then asked about living arrangements at the house. 

The defendant said his father moved his partner in after his grandmother died and that was when issues arose. 

“I asked could I move my partner in and he disagreed completely,” the man said. 

He said he had been working but lost his job because he was unreliable due to court appearances. He said he didn’t tell his employers why he hadn’t shown up for work. “I have been applying for work,” he said. 

Sgt Kirby said he still had concerns about the pair in the same house. 

“I will just go home and go into my room and shut the door,” the man said. 

Judge Fay asked the man if he would go into mediation  in relation to the matter. The man said he would. 

Judge Fay said there was a presumption of bail and she was satisfied to admit the man. She granted bail on a number of conditions including that the man not engage in any farming activity and that he attends mediation. She requested a letter from a solicitor in relation to the will. “Let’s get some clarity on who owns what,” she said. 

She adjourned the matter to Tullamore District Court on March 25.