Two teams of lawyers turned up to represent Dundalk FC at the Workplace Relations Commission today as the club confirmed the settlement of a rights dispute with its former press officer amid an alleged “directors’ dispute”.
The tribunal was told today that it need not proceed with a hearing into complaints brought by Gavin McLaughlin against the League of Ireland club.
He had alleged breaches of the Payment of Wages Act 1991, the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, and the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 on the part of his former employer.
When adjudication officer Christina Ryan opened the matter this morning, Mr McLaughlin’s solicitor, Francis Watters, said: “This matter has been settled, Ms Ryan, we are here to withdraw all complaints from the WRC. We will confirm that in writing.”
He thanked solicitor Emma Coffey for her “professional courtesy and goodwill”.
“Thanks to Emma for sorting this out so quickly and putting it to bed for once and for all,” Mr McLaughlin said, referring to Ms Coffey, who appeared on behalf of the club.
Ms Coffey said she could “confirm what Mr Waters has said”.
Before the settlement was announced, Ms Ryan had noted the presence of two separate legal teams on behalf of the respondent and said she needed to address this.
Barrister Cillian McGovern BL and his instructing solicitor David Lane said they were “also for the respondent” in circumstances where there was a “directors’ dispute”.
Ms Ryan then closed the hearing.
Mr McLaughlin is the third former employee to pursue a case against the club at the WRC in the past 18 months.
In January 2025, Dundalk was ordered to pay its former director of football Brian Gartland €64,000 for multiple employment rights breaches in the wake of his high-profile sacking in May 2024.
The WRC concluded Mr Gartland was dismissed in an act of whistleblower penalisation after he voiced health and safety concerns about the players being fielded while recovering from injury.
Separately, Dundalk’s former chief operations officer Martin Connolly secured an award of €16,667 for unfair dismissal in April 2025.
No details of the settlement with Mr McLaughlin were disclosed today.
