A legal consultant involved in the Guinness family's repossession of Dublin's Iveagh Market has issued a deathbed plea for a deal to be agreed to save the building.
Paul Smithwick, aged 76, who is terminally ill, acted for Lord Iveagh in repossessing the historic building in The Liberties in December 2020.
Concern had been expressed about the market's future because of dilapidation as redevelopment planned by Temple Bar publican Martin Keane had been stalled for over twenty years.
However, the repossession led to legal action by Mr Keane who was already in dispute with Dublin City Council over the original development agreement and refusal of planning permission.
Lord Iveagh, whose great-grandfather built the market for the local street sellers in 1906, had invoked a "reversionary" clause in the development agreement that it would return to his family if redevelopment did not take place.
Those legal issues are currently the subject of mediation.
Mr Smithwick said he has weeks to live and it was his dying wish that the parties could agree a deal.
"I would love if the plaintive call of a lame duck going out would get a deal done."
He said a deal could be done very easily and added "fairness can prevail, fairness will prevail".
Mr Smithwick said that neither he nor Lord Iveagh had any monetary interest in the market.
It is understood that lawyers for the three parties are discussing a plan that would see Mr Keane regain control of the building with finance confirmed and milestones for redevelopment agreed.
An in-depth survey of the state of the building has been carried out with a previous estimate putting the cost of necessary repairs at €23 million.
One of the stumbling blocks in the negotiations is understood to be whether Mr Keane will get full ownership in advance of carrying out repairs to the building or after they are completed.
Mr Smithwick recently gave four hours of evidence from his bedroom as part of the High Court case.
