Ben Dunne leaves €30m estate in will and writes off son's €4m debt

Ben Dunne, the former supermarket mogul who died last year, left more than €30 million in his will and cancelled €4 million in loans provided to his son, the Sunday Independent reports.

The businessman, who played a key role in the expansion of his family’s supermarket empire before being removed from the group after a number of controversies, died while on holiday in Dubai last year, aged 74.

In his will, Mr Dunne stipulated that in the event of his death, his children Robert, Caroline and Nicholas would be released “from any legal liability to repay any debt which may be due from them”. He also released his son Mark from debts of roughly €4 million.

The “rest, residue and remainder” of his €30 million estate “of every nature and kind” as well as “any property” was left to his wife, Mary. This included Mr Dunne’s shares in the chain of gyms he founded and other businesses.

Claire Byrne parts company with ‘super-agent’

Also in the Sunday Independent, RTÉ presenter Claire Byrne reveals she has moved on from agent-to-the-stars Noel Kelly and will now conduct negotiations with the national broadcaster on her own behalf.

In an interview with Niamh Horan, Ms Byrne said she remains “very close” to Mr Kelly, the behind-the-scenes talent agent who found himself in the spotlight last year during the controversy over undisclosed payments made by RTÉ to his client Ryan Tubridy.

However, the RTÉ Radio 1 host said she has “agreed” with Mr Kelly that she does not “need representation, and we’ve decided to part as friends”. Ms Byrne said she still has “a way to go” on her contract with the broadcaster but she will be conducting negotiations in future on her own.

Conglomerates vie for Galway media outlets

Sticking with the media theme, the Sunday Times carries the story that Formpress and Bauer Media are leading the race to buy the Connacht Tribune group.

The group, which includes the Connacht Tribune and Galway City Tribune newspapers and radio station Galway Bay FM, is owned by three Galway families – the Naughtons, the Hickeys and the Allens – who have appointed IBI Corporate Finance to find a buyer for the assets.

It is now expected that the group will be split, the paper reports, with Malcolm Denmark’s regional newspaper group Formpress set to acquire the Tribune brands and Newstalk-owner Bauer favoured to buy the radio station.

Waterford Distillery founder vows to save business

The founder of Waterford Whisky distillery, where receivers were appointed last week, has vowed “until his last breath” to save the business, the Sunday Times reports

Mark Reynier, who built the distillery on Grattan Quay in the heart of Waterford City, said the brand is really only in its infancy and is working “very hard” to find an alternative way to fund the business, which he said was left in a vulnerable position after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Irish whiskey sales to the US have declined in recent years, largely due to overstocking during the pandemic.

Mr Reynier said he had “underestimated those perfect storm conditions”. The receivers from advisory firm Interpath, who were appointed by the company’s lender, HSBC bank, will now seek a buyer for the distillery and its stock.

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