This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2026/01/28/michael-flatley-borrowed-to-fund-monaco-millionaire-lifestyle-court-hears/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
Micheal Flatley has been dwelling the approach to life of a Monaco millionaire “without the funds to do so” and borrowed €75,000 to pay for his personal celebration, the High Court in Belfast has heard.
On Wednesday, a barrister representing an organization which barred the choreographer from involvement in The Lord of the Dance tour submitted paperwork detailing “horrendous business mistakes” that price Mr Flatley “millions in additional borrowing”.
Claims had been made by Mr Flatley’s former monetary adviser, Des Walshe, that his ex-client was “all about image”, the courtroom heard on Wednesday.
“In the bluntest terms, he was faking it on a multimillion euro scale,” Mr Walshe wrote.
Many promoters had been “reluctant” to cope with the Lord of the Dance creator instantly “as he has an industry wide reputation for not paying his bills”, he added.
“Michael’s appetite for lifestyle cash was insatiable, including borrowing €75,000 for his birthday party and €50,000 to join Monaco Yacht Club. All during a time when he had no income other than borrowing,” Mr Walshe wrote in a letter.
The civil case centres on a short lived injunction granted to Switzer Consulting Ltd a fortnight in the past that blocks Mr Flatley from taking part in any upcoming productions.
Switzer is suing the 67-year-old for alleged breach of contract.
Two years in the past, each events struck a proper service settlement which allowed Switzer to run the reveals.
The manufacturing is to start its thirtieth anniversary run in Dublin subsequent week.
Despite criticism of Mr Flatley’s “difficult financial history” by Switzer’s authorized group, the courtroom heard the retired dancer had taken steps “overnight” to safe €500,000.
“Half a million pounds is now sitting in an account in Dublin on a solicitor’s undertaking,” David Dunlop, a barrister for Mr Flatley, mentioned.
During prolonged submissions on Wednesday, Mr Dunlop mentioned the injunction is akin to “handcuffing together” the 2 sides.
There was “open war” in relation to “every aspect of their relationship”, he added.
Granting an injunction will result in disaster “because it is simply going to be impossible for the court to police”.
“Neither party is able to work with the other…Mutual trust and respect have completely disappeared,” Mr Dunlop mentioned.
The short-term injunction granted to Switzer was “improperly brought before the courts” and “deceptive and misleading in many respects,” Mr Dunlop claimed.
Under the phrases of the settlement, Switzer’s charges had been to be capped at £35,000 (€40,427) per 30 days growing to £40,000 per 30 days after two years.
Mr Flatley had transferred mental property rights for Lord Of The Dance to Switzer.
Business administration preparations, corresponding to accounts and payroll, had been to be run by the corporate.
“Everything appeared to be operating swimmingly” till October 2025 when Mr Flatley was a affected person on the Beacon Hospital in Dublin and “wanted all his debts cleared”, in response to Switzer’s barrister, Gary McHugh.
“Mr Flatley pirouettes on the 2024 agreement and is now seeking to soft shoe shuffle into 2026 with new arrangements altogether”, Mr McHugh mentioned.
Blackbird, the characteristic movie made and funded by Mr Flatley, was a industrial flop by which he had “foolishly” used his dwelling at Castlehyde in Fermoy, Co Cork, as safety to borrow cash, resulting in money owed of £4.5 million with “no way to pay it back”, the courtroom heard.
Once Switzer took over Lord of the Dance, the manufacturing grew to become a “commercial success” with extra 260 performances booked for this 12 months in a “global” tour, Mr McHugh mentioned.
He learn a letter written by Mr Walshe, by which he expressed a “growing sense of frustration with Michael’s misbehaviour within a group of people who’ve been working with him for a number of years”.
“At this stage, I’ve lost all tolerance with this type of nonsense,” Mr Walshe wrote in response to correspondence issued by Mr Flatley’s solicitor in Dublin final month.
“Michael knows the full extent of his liabilities and personally he knows why he finds himself in this position.
“Since 2019, Michael has lived the lifestyle of a Monaco millionaire without the funds to do so. He borrowed the initial moneys to move to Monaco…Despite advice to the contrary, as he did not even have the minimum cash required to open a residency bank account.”
Mr Walshe grew to become concerned with Mr Flatley’s affairs in 2022.
In his letter, he mentioned Mr Flatley was suggested that he ought to “not move into that wealth circle (in Monaco) as he simply did not have the resources”.
“Michael ignored this advice and has essentially maintained this facade of wealth using other people’s monies ever since.
“Instead of reining in his spending, adjusting his lifetime costs and cutting his cloth to suit his measure, Michael simply borrowed more money from more people.
“Michael would borrow money from anyone he could, and constantly put pressure on everyone looking for cash.
“It was all about image.”
Mr Walshe mentioned his former consumer would incessantly present him his steadiness on his banking app.
“He knew exactly what he was doing,” he added.
Mr Flatley’s barrister rejected claims that Mr Flatley “was a poor manager of his own affairs and was a man with substantial debts”.
“Ad hominem attacks” had been made on his character, in response to Mr Dunlop.
The truth he had secured €500,000 the earlier night was “proof in the pudding” relating to his funds.
“He is the one who’s managed to generate and has made available half a million pounds,” Mr Dunlop mentioned.
“It’s not Mr Flatley who has the financial difficulties in this case, it is the plaintiff.”
Saying that Switzer’s arguments had not addressed the “legal core” of the case, Mr Dunlop added: “To use a football metaphor, they attacked the player not the ball.”
Earlier, Switzer’s authorized group singled out Philip Moross as a “central character in the proceedings”, as he holds the music rights to Lord of the Dance.
The courtroom heard a debt of greater than £2 million was owed to Mr Moross by Mr Flatley.
A deal was brokered between Switzer, Mr Flatley and Mr Moross to pay the debt in instalments.
There was a worry Mr Moross may “pull the plug” on the tour if there was a default on the deal and cash owed to him “was going to be impeded or interfered with”, in response to Mr McHugh.
The courtroom heard the earlier night that representatives from Mr Flatley had contacted Mr Moross and seemed to be “trying to buy him off”.
There was “complete silence” from Mr Flatley’s authorized group on the matter, Mr McHugh mentioned.
A judgement will likely be delivered on Thursday.
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2026/01/28/michael-flatley-borrowed-to-fund-monaco-millionaire-lifestyle-court-hears/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us
