Court rules against marquee for Mahon wedding party; Council given right to remove if re-erected

A marquee erected at a halting site in Mahon for a weekend wedding was removed overnight and a court injunction was granted against it being re-erected.

Cork City Council barrister, Meg Burke, made an ex-parte application at Cork Circuit Court against James and Julia Keenan of Meelagh group housing scheme in Mahon to prevent the erection of a marquee at another part of the Meelagh halting site.

“I have been told the marquee has since been taken down. Our concern is about the purpose of the marquee. The defendants’ son is getting married (on Saturday). The wedding is in Shannon, County Clare,” Ms Burke said.

Cork City Council understood that the family planned to have a reception in the marquee in Mahon for 40 people – in excess of Covid restrictions which allow for a total of 15 people from three separate households, Ms Burke said.

The City Council barrister said she was not suggesting that the defendants in this application were in anyway involved in an ongoing feud between two families in Cork city. 

However, she said that members of their extended family were allegedly involved in a dispute which saw an unidentified party discharge a gunshot elsewhere in Mahon in the past week.

Returning to the application about the Marquee Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin asked for clarification. Ms Burke said a firm from Tipperary had erected the Marquee on Wednesday at a vacant bay in the halting site at Meelagh and it was taken down overnight (Thursday/Friday). 

“We understand it was taken away and is no longer there. It was taken away as of this morning (Friday),” Ms Burke said.

A housing officer spoke to James Keenan, the barrister said. 

Ms Burke BL said Mr Keenan told the officer he had spent a lot of money on it and it was for a wedding reception for his son’s wedding, with the marriage due to take place in Shannon, County Clare, on Saturday, and the plan to return for a party/wedding reception in Mahon.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said to the Cork City Council barrister, “Your concern is it could go up as quickly as it came down?” 

Ms Burke agreed and said, “We are looking for an order preventing them from erecting or re-erecting an unauthorised structure – a marquee – at Meelagh group housing scheme, at any part of that site.” 

The judge granted that ex-parte injunction in those terms and gave the city council the right to move on to the site and remove a marquee if one was re-erected over the weekend.

Ms Burke then referred to the possibility of an event in breach of Covid regulations going ahead without a marquee.

In that regard, the judge said, “The constabulary can enforce public health regulations.” 

The judge reserved the position in relation to the costs of bringing the application for the injunction.