Sheriff evicts Gerald Kean from offices
Legal eagle ‘sorry’ as he didn’t find bigger place
CELEBRITY lawyer Gerald Kean was evicted from property that he had failed to vacate by the Dublin City Sheriff’s Office yesterday.
In an interview with the Irish Daily Mail, he apologised for not handing over the keys to the south Dublin office premises in time, saying he couldn’t find big enough alternative offices to move to.
Mr Kean, 61, who is a wellknown lawyer across the country told the Mail yesterday it was ‘unfortunate’ he had not left the premises on time.
A private security company acting on behalf of the sheriff’s office took possession of the offices located in Pembroke Street, Dublin, yesterday morning.
The offices are now understood to be empty and Mr Kean said he was in the process yesterday of signing the contracts for his new offices.
‘I entered an agreement to vacate the property on Pembroke Street on January 31,’ he admitted. ‘I didn’t do it because I couldn’t find offices, and I’m just signing a lease for new offices. ‘I couldn’t find any anywhere. ‘The landlord, quite understandably, was concerned that I wasn’t moving.
‘Part of the deal was I move out, I didn’t move out and I apologise, I was wrong for that.
‘That’s because I couldn’t get alternative premises but within the next half hour I’m signing for bigger premises. I needed more room, if you understand me, but I was wrong in what I did. I should have moved out but I just couldn’t get bigger premises. I’ve got them and I am signing in the next half hour.’
Mr Kean said that he had not yet apologised to his landlord in person. ‘I’m just waiting now to sign a lease and I have been after these [office] for a few weeks. I didn’t expect I’d have to rush it but I’m doing that now,’ the solicitor to the stars said.
Mr Kean made headlines during the Disclosures Tribunal which investigated a smear campaign against Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe.
At one sitting of the tribunal, he told Judge Peter Charleton that former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan gave him incorrect information about now-retired sergeant Mr McCabe which he then repeated on RTÉ Radio.
Mr Kean’s comments on the show gave rise to a defamation action taken by Mr McCabe against RTÉ and Mr Kean.
RTÉ settled the case and paid substantial damages to Mr McCabe.
But prior to his appearance at the tribunal, Mr Kean was seen as a high-profile figure who mixed in high-society circles and attended swish celebrity parties.
The lawyer, who appeared on RTÉ fitness show Operation Transformation two years ago in a bid to shed some weight, was married to fellow lawyer Clodagh Hopkins for 20 years.
Most recently Mr Kean was in a relationship with socialite Natanya Caffola, a mother-four who is part of the Irish-Italian chipper dynasty.
‘I’m waiting now to sign a lease’