GAA Centre of Excellence in legal battle

Tyrone GAA’s £6million Centre of Excellence at Garvaghy is at the centre of a legal battle. A sub-contactor who claims he was not paid for work done during construction is taking legal action against the Tyrone County. Fintona-based Top Tools is seeking £26,879.40 from the County Board

A lawyer for the sub-contractor told a short hearing at Omagh County Court that the Board first main contractor hired to build the Centre had agreed a contract to supply items with Top Tools. This first main contractor then “went bust.” The lawyer said that a senior GAA official offered payment for work done. “Afterwards, the Tyrone County Board denied the existence of any contract,” the barrister said. However, the County Board subsequently settled one invoice for work carried out for the first contractor. This was done “when faced with the inevitability of legal action.”

A barrister for the Board told the Court that another main contractor took over construction at Garvaghy. As a result “Tyrone County Board circulated a letter that they would pay for works completed after (the first contractor went bust).” He accused Top Tools of seeking that “the Board should pay for work, which the Board had already paid for, but McCann Brothers (the contractors) did not pay the subcontractors for.”

The barrister for Top Tools denied this. He said that the County Board had authorised payments to subcontractors after the first main contractor had gone bust. He named a senior County Board official as having “paid for materials after McCann Brother went bust from his own credit card.”

Judge McReynolds said it was “a very Tyrone case.” She suggested both sides “spit on their hands” and shake on a deal, in the traditional way. After a short adjournment for discussion between the two sides, the case was adjourned for hearing on April 15^th.