+34
Internal messages had shown brothers discussing various elements of troubled furniture business
3 MIN READ The company that bought troubled homes and garden retailer Rathwood after it entered examinership have announced that the “working relationship” between it and the two brothers who ran it before the insolvency process began has come to an end.
Evergreen Home & Garden Holdings issued a statement on Monday afternoon saying its relationship with James and Thomas Keogh was now over.in the company and were in regular communication with the new owners about the day-to-day running of the business until late last week.which saw Kevin Nolan and a consortium he called Evergreen buying the operation. Customers and other creditors owed money by Rathwood were promised refunds of just 0.25 per cent as a result of the examinership.
Solicitor James MacGuill, who acted in several landmark cases, dies aged 63Ticketmaster accused of attempting to mislead Oasis fans on Croke Park tickets Confirming the scheme, Judge Rory Mulcahy said the manner in which the business had been managed before its examinership remained of “significant concern” and he noted liabilities of more than €21 million when it entered examinership. Legal representatives of the Keogh family directors of Rathwood told the court James and Thomas Keogh were undertaking not to act as directors of the company for five years.
However, an extensive series of internal messages highlighted how the brothers were involved in discussions about which employees should be kept on or let go and how certain creditors and the business should be managed in the wake of a dramatic fall from grace in recent years. In one exchange between James Keogh and Nolan, Keogh suggested that a €5,000 redundancy package for some staff was a “clever” move.
“Give them no hope, only 3 days a week or €5,000,” Keogh wrote, and suggested staff might choose to leave “if they know there is NO hope of the big pay-off”. In another piece of correspondence, he dismissed an employee suggestion that the retailer’s popular Christmas experience should involve local market stalls and craft markets. He said such stalls were a “waste of time and never pay”. He described “craft people” as “painful”.
Last Friday, Nolan said he had “drawn on the knowledge and experience of the inherited Rathwood management team, including James and Thomas Keogh, to understand the business and support its transition”, adding that “given the complexity of the business and the circumstances in which it emerged from examinership, that was both necessary and commercially sensible”. In a fresh statement issued on Monday, Evergreen Home & Garden Holdings said it could “confirm that the working relationship between Rathwood and members of the Keogh family has now ended”.
It said that “following Evergreen’s acquisition of Rathwood, members of the Keogh family provided information and operational assistance during a transitional period. That transition has now ended”. The statement stressed that Evergreen Home & Garden Holdings was “the sole owner of Rathwood and its CEO, Kevin Nolan, has full responsibility for its management, operations and future direction.
“We wish the Keogh family well for the future. Evergreen’s focus is now firmly on Rathwood, its employees, customers and the continued development of the business. Complaints about Rathwood’s inability to fulfil orders first emerged in mid-2025, with Rathwood’s problems deepening last winter. In April, the company went into examinership, after which it emerged that about 7,000 customers had bought products from Rathwood that were never delivered, with close to €3 million owed.
During the examinership, the true scale of the financial problems at Rathwood started to emerge, with multiple suppliers, some of whom were owed hundreds of thousands of euro – and in some cases millions – left with virtually nothing. Garda and Colombian police sign anti-drug trafficking co-operation dealClocks will move back on October 25th for winter timeSharlene Mawdsley to make return at new $10m Ultimate Championship in Budapest
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Pierre Gasly Claims Maiden Pole Position at Italian Grand Prix at MonzaPierre Gasly delivered the shock of the season by taking the first pole position of his career for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, beating George Russell by just 0.060 seconds. The result came a day after Alpine boss Flavio Briatore accused an FIA judge of having a working relationship with McLaren. Oscar Piastri finished third, with Charles Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth for Ferrari. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli took seventh but will start from the back of the grid due to an engine penalty. In Formula Two, Ireland's Alex Dunne finished seventh in the feature race, earning two points to remain fourth in the standings.
Read more »
Internal messages reveal Keogh brothers remain involved in Rathwood operations after examinership saleLeaked communications show former operators of Rathwood discussing staff redundancies and business strategy with new owner Kevin Nolan, despite court undertaking not to serve as directors
Read more »
Radio's Enduring Appeal: A Companion Through Life's SoundtrackThe author reflects on the enduring appeal of radio, sharing how it has been a constant companion from teenage years to the present day. The text describes how radio provides background entertainment while working or reading, with a specific anecdote about a catchy song (The Swimming Song) that wormed its way into their consciousness, highlighting the power of music and nostalgia in radio broadcasts.
Read more »
Solicitor and senior counsel James MacGuill, who acted in a number of successful landmark cases in the Irish and European courts, has died aged 63.During a 40-year legal career MacGuill was involved in several significant cases, including Ireland's first ever criminal prosecution for female genital mutilation. Involving an African couple, those proceedings concluded earlier this year as a declared miscarriage of justice on foot of new medical evidence that their young daughter was never subjected to the procedure. MacGuill also acted in a test case that forced the Government to reform Ireland's criminal injuries compensation scheme to include compensation for pain and suffering. The European Court of Justice last year upheld the High Court decision, leading the Government to announce reforms bringing the Irish scheme into line with European law. In an earlier case before the European court, MacGuill acted for former senior IRA member Brendan "Bik" McFarlane, who in 2010 won a declaration that State proceedings against him had taken too long, entitling him to compensation. That case, resulting in €15,000 damages and legal costs, arose from 1998 charges over the 1983 kidnapping of Don Tidey. A native of Dundalk, MacGuill graduated from UCC in 1983, was admitted as a solicitor in 1986, and appointed senior counsel in 2020. He specialized in public and criminal law, serving on government working groups and the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board. Tributes note his bravery, intelligence, and respect for process despite skepticism of the State. He died Sunday after a short illness, survived by son Conor, siblings Ciarán, Daire, Conor, and Eithne.
Read more »