On 15th April, 2012 it was reported on here that Dublin property company Spain Courtney Doyle appeared to have relocated from Dublin to London, even though property still advertised on the company’s website was located in Dublin. It seems that on 8th May 2012, Bernard Doyle, one of the principals in the company was declared bankrupt in London. The description provided by the UK Insolvency Service – the full record is reproduced above – is interesting for its range of addresses “Bernard Thomas Doyle of 45 Godstone Road, St Margaret’s, Middlesex, TW1 1LG, lately of 34 Orleans Road, Twickenham, TW1 3BL, formerly of Ardeevin House, Ardeevin Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin, Ireland, a property consultant trading in partnership with another as Spain Courtney Doyle at 162-168 Regent Street, W1B lately of 3 Wigmore Place, London, W1U 2LN”.
There is no news of Bernard Doyle’s two associates, Paddy Spain and David Courtney. A search of the Insolvency Service doesn’t throw up any results. Under UK bankruptcy rules, Bernard can expect to emerge as a financial new-born in May 2013. Although our soporific Minister for Justice Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter has promised to publish his Personal Insolvency Bill here by the end of June, Minister Shatter promises all sorts of things and doesn’t always deliver, reform of Upward Only Rent Review leases being a case in point. The new Bill is expected to cut the Irish bankruptcy period from up to 12 years at present to three or less years.
This NAMA bankruptcy is the latest in a line which now includes Ray Grehan and his brother Danny Grehan, Tom McFeely, John Fleming, Alastair Jackson and Patrick Fitzpatrick. [UPDATE: 7th June, 2012. There are two other UK bankrupts associated with NAMA from Northern Ireland – Fergal McAlinden and Peter McDaid]
UODATE: 5th June 2012, it seems that Gavin Daly at the Sunday Times reported this story last weekend. It’s behind a paywall. So the “Exclusive” is withdrawn above!
NAMA Wine Lake 
Why should these people be allowed to come home after 12 months and then live like kings again off their, ultimately state funded, aristocratic pensions? Answer: Because the rule of law has broken down. We have one law of most people, and no law for the men at the top. They are aristocrats and live much like that class was won’t to: crookedly, fecklessly, and without heed of consequences.
My opinion is that all these bankruptcy grand tourists should be exiled from Ireland forever. I mean it! We shouldn’t have to suffer the sight of them after they have bankrupted the state and forced the Irish to emigrate again. Neither should their bones be permitted to lie in Irish soil. Their sins are not forgivable.
If they want to run away from what they’ve done, fine. But they should not be allowed back. Not ever.
All those boyo’s should have gone to England years ago.
Its easy to run
And too easy to slink back!
Somewhat unforgiving comments. They are allowed to return to Ireland because we have freedom of movement within the EU. I don’t know that any one of them have a pension fit for a king – never mind whether they have a pension at all. Many did not. That is the thinking of the Public Sector. Most would have bought a few (now underwater) apartments and considered them “the pension”. Property developers rarely think outside of property as investments, although some did rise to the celestial height of buying a pub or building an hotel in the home town to show that the local boy “did well”.
I would also like to know what they should be forgiven for. For borrowing too much from the banks? For building houses that were not needed? For the self-indulgence of buying a new Bentley with the bank’s money? All of those mistakes should have nothing to with anyone other than the banks, their shareholders and the borrowers. Who went bankrupt or not should be of no concern of the citizens of Ireland.
Bankruptcy laws are meant to give closure and a new start to those who have lost everything. The fact that we still have outdated draconian insolvency laws that force people to England is a reflection on us, our politicians and the ignorant punishment mentality of people that underpins such legislation.
If you want to blame someone – blame Cowen, Lenihan and the advisors in the DoF who infected you with these losses.
Succinct, magnanimous and oh so true WSTT! The bitter and twisted commentary of people who contribute nothing but bile to these scenarios is unique to Ireland. Why would any entrepreneur raise their head above the parapet again here? When the end result is indentured and penal servitude to agencies such as this!?
Could a NAMA’ed developer ‘plan’ to fail quickly while working with them, or not?
I am not sure NAMA would survive without the groundswell of mistrust toward developers. Some of whom if not guilty were at least were really stupid with borrowed money. But then aren’t we all.
Seriously OMF what “sins” you harping on about again,public tarring and feathering if you owe a few bob,debtors prisons,stoning?
The biggest “sin” of all is the lack of modern BK law in Ireland,checked out the suicide rate lately ?
There is a reason, constitutionally speaking, for this state of affairs. I feel it in my bones. They are scared since the judgement on tenure years ago struck down the pre-1920 legislation. But I think they are mistaken. They have lifted the area of property law to heights that derive directly for the common law and are casting it on the Constitution. But this isn’t valid at all. Our Constitution is clear. Power sits with the citizen and whenever a conflict occurs the Inalienable Rights trumps all.
The error today with the framers and the UORR & Insolvency is that they believe the Constitution protects property above the citizen.
Here you go OMF talk about this ‘sin’,pass modern BK laws.
“A staggering rise in the number of Irish men taking their own lives is clearly linked to the recession, according to a leading expert on mental health.
Figures released yesterday by the CSO confirm research showing that 80% of those who take their own lives in Ireland are men, many of them in their 30s.
The CSO Report on Vital Statistics for 2009 shows 443 male suicides that year, a 15% increase on 2008. In contrast, female suicide deaths fell by 9%.
The report tallies with a study by the National Suicide Research Foundation which looked at 190 cases of suicide in Cork City and county between Sep 2008, when the economy imploded, and Mar 2011.
It found that the victims were predominantly men, with an average age of 36.
“It wasn’t a coincidence. Almost 40% were unemployed, and 32% worked in construction,” said NSRF research director Ella Arensman.
“Our study shows and the CSO figures confirm that suicides among men in Ireland rose sharply as the economy went into severe recession.”
http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0602/ireland/suicide-rise-is-linked-to-economy-says-study-195996.html
” Bankruptcy laws are meant to give closure and a new start to those who have lost everything”
It is now time that the Government accelerated reform of BK Laws in Ireland. When I say it is easy to run,I am talking about So Called Developers like Mc Feely and Co,who were/Responsible for Building Poor Quality Product and who can wipe there hands clean,Have no Problem with the Likes of John Fleming and the like who no doubt Built Products of Excellent Quality and who should be allowed to do so again. But others formally in this Business should never be allowed to re enter it.
Shopping Complex on Buncrana Road Derry sold for 20m+,Possibility of NAMA involvement but not clear