A property dispute involving former Clare TD Violet-Anne Wynne has been adjourned until November after a landlord sought payment of more than €18,000 in alleged rent arrears and the return of a Clarecastle home.
A dispute over rent payments and possession of a home in County Clare is due to return to court next month, following an application by the property owner involving former TD Violet-Anne Wynne, John Montaine and their household.
The landlord, Patricia Warshell, is asking Ennis District Court to recover rent arrears claimed to have reached €18,000 by the end of January 2026. Her application also seeks payment of any further arrears accumulated since then.
The proceedings concern a property on Main Street in Clarecastle. The landlord is seeking possession of the dwelling and enforcement of a Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) determination order issued on February 11, 2026.
Court gives respondents time to obtain legal advice
The case came before Judge Adrian Harris at Ennis District Court. The landlord’s solicitor, John Halpin, argued that the matter required urgent attention but indicated that his client would accept a one-month delay in enforcing an order if one were granted.
Wynne appeared without legal representation at the hearing. She told the court that she had found alternative accommodation for herself and her six children earlier in the week.
Montaine also attended and asked for additional time to arrange legal representation. Wynne requested time for her solicitor to examine documents she had supplied.
The judge raised the possibility of dealing with the proceedings at Kilrush District Court. Wynne explained that her childcare responsibilities would make that arrangement difficult.
The case was subsequently listed for November 25 at Ennis District Court, allowing both respondents time to arrange representation.
The RTB is involved in the proceedings as a notice party. The hearing did not establish a final outcome on the landlord’s requests for possession and payment, and the case remains subject to further court proceedings.
Separate proceedings over a former employee’s award
A second civil matter involving Wynne was also before the court. It concerns an outstanding balance from an €11,500 award made by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to her former employee, Fiona Smyth.
The court heard that repayments were continuing. Daragh Hassett, Smyth’s solicitor, confirmed that payments were being made, while Wynne said she intended to continue paying until the outstanding amount was cleared.
The agreed repayment arrangement involves weekly payments of €50.
At an earlier hearing in April 2026, the balance was reported to be €4,700. No revised total was given at the latest hearing.
Hassett said in April that, at the existing repayment rate, clearing the debt could extend into 2028. Judge Harris adjourned the matter until next year so that progress with the payments could be reviewed.
The employment-related debt is separate from the landlord’s claim concerning the Clarecastle property.
Wynne’s previous political career
Wynne entered the Dáil as a Sinn Féin representative for Clare after the 2020 general election, when she topped the constituency poll.
She later left the party and ran as an independent in the November 2024 general election. She lost her seat after receiving 310 first-preference votes.
The original court report also referred to the annual salary attached to a TD’s office, then stated as €113,679. That historical salary figure does not establish Wynne’s current income or explain the circumstances of either legal matter.
The immediate issue in the tenancy proceedings is whether the landlord’s requests for arrears and possession will be granted. The case is scheduled to return to Ennis District Court on November 25, 2026.
