A dispute between broadcaster Pat Kenny and his neighbour over a piece of land has been described by a High Court Judge as highly acrimonious.
The dispute between the neighbours centres on the ownership of a valuable piece of land in Dalkey, Co Dublin.
Broadcaster Pat Kenny and his wife Cathy claim they are the rightful owners of the rocky outcrop, but their next door neighbour Gerard Charlton has gone to the High Court claiming he has the title to the property.
The court has made an order allowing for the land to be examined by expert witnesses for Mr Charlton, ahead of a full hearing of the case.
Mr Charlton says that in 1971 he and his wife acquired a leasehold interest in the land, known as Gorse Hill, close to his home.
But Pat Kenny and his wife counter claim that they have acquired a beneficial interest in the property, which also lies beside their home.
The Kennys say they have carried out fencing and gardening works on the land and they say the property is part of their garden.
Mr Kenny says he locked the property from public access 16 years ago and it has been inaccessible since then except by scaling a cliff.
Mr Charlton says he had permitted the Kennys to use the land since they came to live beside him in 1988.
Mr Charlton claims Mr Kenny refused to give him the code for a new electric gate and sought to prevent him gaining access to the property.
The court has heard that the Kennys dispute Gerard Charlton's claim of ownership of the property and say they have acquired it by adverse possession.
Mr Justice Frank Clarke said there is a high degree of acrimony between both sides in the case and there has been little or no constructive engagement to resolve issues.
At a later date the High Court will be asked to rule on who owns the disputed piece of land.
In the meantime the judge says he will allow Mr Charlton's solicitor, a horticulturalist and an architect inspect the property to study the planting and building works the Kennys have carried out on the land.
