Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley has a date for legal battle with his former solicitor

High Court reporters

Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley’s legal battle against his former solicitor will be heard by the High Court next month.

The legal row between the entertainer and his former solicitor has erupted amid allegations on both sides about legal fees and an alleged hold on files.

Michael Flatley is seeking to compel Maxwell Mooney and Company solicitors with offices at Maynooth, Co Kildare, to hand over the files relating to the proceedings about and linked to his Cork mansion Castlehyde in Fermoy, Co Cork.

In the High Court on Friday, Richard Kean SC, counsel for Mooney said they were anxious “to keep the temperature calm”, but the case will be vigorously contested.

They asked for four weeks to prepare documentation for the case and a bill of costs, which will involve liaising with costs accountants.

Flatley’s new legal team, Niall Buckley SC, instructed by Barry Creed solicitor, earlier this week in an ex parte application to the High Court were granted short service to serve notice of the proceedings on Mooney and the matter was adjourned to this Friday.

The case where the Flatley side are seeking that Mooney be directed to produce or deliver the client files in respect of all legal services provided to Flatley will now be heard by the president of the High Court in mid-March.

The Flatley side are also seeking an order compelling Mooney with an office at Maynooth, Co Kildare, to provide a copy of the Flatley client account.

In the High Court on Friday, Buckley for the Flatley side said that a timeframe of a four-week adjournment would pose difficulties.

He said the Flatley appeal against the security for costs order appeal against a €1.1 million security for costs order made against him in his €30 million court action over works carried out at his Cork mansion is also due before the Court of Appeal in March.

Counsel said the breakdown in the relationship between Mr Flatley and his former solicitor had been ongoing since last November, and he said the issues had been known between the parties since then.

High Court president Mr Justice David Barniville set deadlines for the affidavits to be filed by both sides in the case, along with legal submissions and said he will hear the case on March 13 next.

In an affidavit to the High Court to ground his application last Friday, the entertainer said it was not correct that invoices relating to legal fees have not been paid to Mooney.

Flatley said he could confirm the payments set out in the affidavit of his new solicitor Barry Creed, which stipulated that a total of €487,837 had been paid by Flatley or on his behalf between May 2022 and August 2025.

Creed stated that it was unclear whether €290,000 had been applied as fees or whether they remain held on account.

Flatley also alleged in the document before the court that there was an alleged failure to provide all client account information, which he claimed he requested three months ago. This, Flatley alleges, is impeding the orderly progression of his litigation.

Flatley also claimed in July last year, he was concerned about how his proceedings were being managed, “and in particular the many negative headlines which were published about me.”

“At all time, I was informed that matters were progressing positively; however, the media depicted a very different picture,” he claimed.

In an affidavit, solicitor Barry Creed said extensive correspondence was exchanged with Mooney and that Mooney wrote that his office was “exercising a general lien” over all files and papers relating to Mr Flatley until we and counsel are paid in full.”