Overview
- Darragh Mackin and Gavin Booth, partners at Belfast human rights firm Phoenix Law, sued Denis O’Brien and his spokesman James Morrissey over the statement.
- The disputed line read, “Sinn Féin/IRA certainly got the report they paid for,” referring to a media‑ownership study the solicitors helped author.
- The jury awarded €270,000 in general damages and almost €142,000 in aggravated damages to each solicitor, totaling €411,750 apiece.
- Jurors reached their decision after two hours and 20 minutes, and the court made an order for costs against Mr O’Brien and Mr Morrissey.
- The report at issue was commissioned by then Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan, the defence argued the words alleged bias rather than IRA links, and RTÉ reported the sums are among the country’s larger defamation awards with the plaintiffs’ lawyers calling the result a public vindication.