Bord na Mona gets order telling 'digger driver' to stay away from Offaly border bog

A MAN involved in a bog ownership dispute with Bord na Mona must not enter the land or work on it in any way, according to a High Court judgment.

Bord na Mona Biomass Ltd took a case against Liam Gorman, Silverwood, Mountmellick, in relation to 94 plots of bogland it said it owned at Garrymore Bog, Co Laois.

Bord na Mona claimed it acquired the Garrymore Bog lands by means of a CPO on January 9, 1981, by means of acquisitions of a number of plots before the CPO and after, including some from the defendant’s mother in October 2023.

Mr Gorman, who according to judgment author Mr Justice Oisin Quinn described himself as a “digger driver”, disputed Bord na Mona's claim and in a counterclaim sought a declaration that he was the owner of one of the plots. He also sought damages.

Mr Gorman also disputed the jurisdiction of the courts and specifically claimed that the High Court was “legally non-existent”.

Mr Justice Quinn's judgment, delivered today (June 24, 2025) said that on the first day of the hearing on June 19 last Mr Gorman claimed he was “living” on the bog in a caravan and was extracting peat which he was selling to farmers for bedding for cattle and that he intended to continue doing this.

Bord na Mona had previously been granted orders in May last year restraining Mr Gorman from trespassing on the land or doing any work on it.

In April 2025 Mr Gorman returned to the lands in question and considered himself “discharged” from the existing interlocutory orders. Mr Justice Quinn said this view had no legal basis.

On the first day of the hearing last week Mr Gorman left after being refused an adjournment and after applying for a declaration that the court had no jurisdiction, Mr Gorman “along with a number of individuals who had been supporting him” left the courtroom. His partner remained in court.

“The next morning, Mr Gorman reappeared, along with some of the individuals who had attended the day before. However, he did not meaningfully engage in the hearing but rather repeated his complaints about jurisdiction and made some observations that could be said to go to the substance of the case, such as that he had been in ‘adverse possession’ of the lands. He also made it clear that he would continue to extract peat from the lands no matter what happened in court and then he left again.”

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After evidence was presented by Bord na Mona the court agreed with the company that it was the owner of the plot claimed by Mr Gorman.

Evidence was given that in early January 2024 rangers saw an excavator and an unusual sign stating inter alia “Warning Notice – No Trespass” and “Common Law Jurisdiction Applies Exclusively” and “There will be a charge of €100,000.00 per minute per man, woman, or corporation and for any incursion what so ever”. The sign was signed by Mr Gorman.

“This activity of Mr Gorman appears to have coincided with or closely followed the sale to [Bord na Mona] of several plots of bogland nearby that were sold by Mr Gorman’s mother, either on her own behalf or as executor to the late father of Mr Gorman, by way of transfer in October 2023,” the judgment said.

The court was shown drone images indicating the use of substantial machinery operating on the bog land in the area.

The court ruled that there would be no award of damages against Mr Gorman as Bord na Mona decided not to adduce any evidence in support of a damages claim.

“Mr Gorman left the hearing as described above and did not meaningfully participate and called no evidence. Accordingly, Mr Gorman’s counterclaim is dismissed,” the judgment concluded.