‘I was livid so I painted my house pink and wrote my opinions all over it’
The bitter dispute at Johnstown Estate continues
KEEPING up appearances is a priority for any luxurious hotel hoping to give guests an extravagant experience for their money.
Ireland’s many historic houses can even transport you to another era, as long as the fantasy is preserved.
However, the high standards upon which the 18th-century Johnstown Estate in Enfield, Co. Meath, prides itself have proven difficult to maintain due to a bitter dispute that, until recently, was in plain sight.
Upon exploring the four-star hotel’s scenic grounds, guests may have noticed large banners wrapped around dozens of 40foot-wide shipping containers.
Anyone daring to take a closer look would have been shocked to discover that the containers were actually blocking several private lodges painted in a garish bright pink and covered in graffiti.
There was no escaping the message the owners were trying to convey: ‘Private property damaged’, ‘we will not go away’, ‘water, electric, gas cut off for no reason’, ‘we will fight for our family’.
On a number of lodges, printed warnings were placed on the windows that read: ‘Private property. Do not enter. It is a criminal offence to interfere with the new locks. Smile you are on camera.’
Further insights into what on earth was going on at the Johnstown Estate emerged in a recent An Bord Pleanála ruling.
The unusual case is part of a long-running and bitter legal battle between Lefgem – the firm that owns the hotel and spa – and six private owners of lodges within the grounds of the estate, some of which were available to rent out through an arrangement with the hotel according to the owners
‘Water, electric, gas cut off for no reason’
The dispute between the parties broke out after Lefgem acquired the hotel from a receiver in 2015 and cut off water and electricity to some lodges on the basis it had no legal obligation to continue to supply services to properties it did not own.
The hotel’s owner claims the deliberate defacement of the six lodges by their owners through ‘garish paint colour and aggressive graffiti’ caused significant harm to its business.
In turn, the view of the lodges was restricted by 26 shipping containers as well as hoarding and advertising structures placed by Lefgem, which claims they are used to store furnishings and to protect the properties due to previous vandalism and theft.
Last month’s ruling by An Bord Pleanála overturned a determination by Meath County Council that the graffiti was exempt from planning permission.
In separate but related rulings, the planning authority issued findings that advertising hoardings and shipping containers also represent developments which require planning permission.
The Irish Daily Mail can confirm that the containers have now been relocated and the lodges repainted by their owners. However, the conflict is still far from over.
The case was brought before the High Court in July last year. The hotel’s owner, Barry English, claimed the business was severely disrupted by the generation of loud noises from a siren, which the court heard was set off for several hours at night.
A temporary injunction was granted, restraining the defendants from using a siren, airhorn, alarm or power generators for the purpose of generating loud noise near the hotel.
Kieran O’Connell, who bought one of the guest houses for €495,000 as an investment and tax write-off, told the Mail he decided to take ‘affirmative action’ in 2021 when the hotel was closed during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Feeling he had nothing left to lose, he travelled to the estate from Galway one Saturday morning with his tools, ready to repossess the privately owned lodges.
Joined by a number of other owners, including his brother Seán, Kieran got to work changing the locks.‘When I started to drill, this security guy came down and asked what we were doing... we asked him to display his PSA licence and when he didn’t have one he was told to shove off.
‘Two guards eventually showed up, but once I provided them with an ID and letters of authority they had no issue with us and left.
‘Over the course of the morning, I changed the locks on five properties with the owners’ consent. It may have seemed drastic, but we were being walked all over as the houses were being used without our permission and we weren’t being paid a dime.’
Over the next few months, the owners realised their gas, water and electricity had been cut off.
‘I was f***ing livid, so I painted my house in bright pink and wrote my opinions all over it. The hotel then started placing containers around my property and erected large tarpaulins around them.’
While the case was before An Bord Pleanála, several of the owners travelled to Enfield every Saturday to ensure the lodges weren’t being tampered with.
‘We hooked up generators so we could boil the kettle and watch television. We also brought up gallons of water to flush the toilet and wash our hands.
‘As the winter months came in the generator wasn’t good enough to provide heat and the hotel had removed the regulator from outside the house which meant you couldn’t even reconnect the gas.’
Kieran claims that the owners were offered just €40,000 to walk away – which they flatly rejected.
‘I told [hotel manager] Anthony Smiddy that we wouldn’t settle for less than €350,000 and the next time he rings the price would go up again.’
David Goodwin from Swords, Dublin, paid a significantly lower amount for his lodge after its former owner, Colm Feeney, asked him to take it off his hands.
‘Colm had enough of all the hassle and offered it to me for €40,000. I was delighted because these lodges were located in such a beautiful place and only 45 minutes away from Dublin.
‘However, on May 12, 2021 I realised I had no water, electricity or gas; when I looked out the window I saw they’d dug up the ground.
‘I wasn’t buying this property to rent it out. I was spending quite a lot of time down there and thought it would be a great place for my daughter to visit.
‘However, the place is now completely uninhabitable,’ he said.
Mr Goodwin and Kieran O’Connell added that the lodge owners do not expect the hotel to pay for their utilities, but believe they should not be cut off from accessing them.
There is no question that the feud has resulted in bad publicity for the hotel, as seen from a number of online reviews.
One former guest wrote: ‘The hotel overall, the grounds, the staff, the restaurant may have been four-star but the lodges most certainly are not.
‘Upon arriving at the hotel all seemed lovely until we pulled around to the lodges where we were staying, the state of several of these lodges, painted bright pink with graffiti and containers around them was shocking.
‘The kids were immediately asking questions and I really thought this brought down the whole tone of the place.’
Another person in July 2023 claimed their bridal party was spoiled by a loud siren.
‘We stayed here for a family wedding in June which was ruined by the hotel. They are in a long running dispute with private lodge owners who they have cut off electric and water to.
‘A recent court case has shown that since February this year one of the private lodge owners has been setting off a siren for extended periods of time day and night leading to people staying in the lodges – at great expense – having a horrific stay.
‘The hotel placed the bridal party in a lodge directly opposite the siren going off all night. This meant the bride had very little sleep before her big day.
‘To put people in the lodges and charge full price knowing full well that a siren would be sounding all night is utterly disgusting.’
However, the positive reviews continue to heavily outweigh the negative feedback. Currently, the Johnstown Estate ranks 4.5 stars on Google reviews.
Although hesitant to air their views to the media, the hotel management clearly felt obliged to provide their version of events to guests who may have stumbled upon the bizarre sight when exploring the grounds.
‘The place is now uninhabitable’
Beside one of the lodges, a notice pinned to the wall read: ‘Our team at the Johnstown Estate have worked remarkably hard, through two long and tough lockdowns, to maintain the hotel, its amenities, and its grounds to a very high standard.
‘We are very regretful of the appearance of three lodges within the hotel complex which are outside our control. There is an ongoing dispute regarding provision of services to these lodges. Buyers were advised prior to their recent purchase that they were being sold without services.
‘These are investment/short-term stay properties in which the owners do not live. Their claim to have families and children living there is disingenuous and untrue.’
The notice goes on to state that the hotel staff are the ones being harassed, contrary to the lodge owners’ claims. ‘To force access to services – to which the lodge owners are not entitled, but which they need if they are to make their investment viable – there has been both reputational and criminal damage caused to The Johnstown Estate. Our team members have also been subjected to ongoing harassment and intimidation.
‘We are working with the Gardaí on an investigation into the matter.
‘While it is outside of our control, we apologise for the appearance of these units and the behaviour of these individual owners. We hope that it doesn’t adversely impact your stay with us. We are dedicated to ensuring a pleasurable stay for all our guests.’
Anthony Smiddy, the hotel’s general manager, told the Mail it was always their intention to adhere to An Bord Pleanála’s direction and he is thankful the lodge owners have done the same. But what may seem like a welcome truce is far from the case.
The business is suing a number of lodge owners for conspiracy, intimidation and causing damage to its reputation. It’s also understood the owners intend on countering the claims in the High Court.