Mr O’Brien and Mr Morrissey were ordered to pay the lawyers €411,750 each to compensate the damage done to the solicitors’ reputations arising from the defamation. The jury’s award of damages fell within the category for “very serious” instances of defamation. At the time of the report, Mr O’Brien owned substantial stakes in Irish media companies. Mr Lehane noted that the jury’s award was one of the largest payouts in a defamation case in recent years. Counsel said Mr O’Brien side must convince the Court of Appeal that no reasonable jury should have made such an award.

Source: The Irish Times November 28, 2025 17:07 UTC