The High Court in Belfast has granted Michael Flatley a new injunction against a Northern Irish company he says is unlawfully interfering in the European tour of the Lord of the Dance show. The tour is due to start in Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday night.
Flatley obtained an emergency ex parte injunction in Belfast from Judge Ian Huddleston on Tuesday afternoon after complaining that Switzer Consulting Ltd was in contempt of court for breaching undertakings it gave the court last month.
A Croatian performance of Lord of the Dance is booked into the 20,000 seater Zagreb Arena on Wednesday night. Flatley has said some 80 per cent of tickets are sold and the show is forecast to generate €730,000 of income.
The orders bar Switzer, Joe Gallagher, Fiona Hannigan, Armand Lako, Bruce MacInnes, Alexandra McConnell Walshe, Donna Thompson and John McGuinness, from interfering with any suppliers, contractors or third parties engaged by Flatley for the Lord of the Dance tour.
The order also restrains interference with cast, crew and production staff.
Flatley complained that Switzer had continued to contact European promoters, allegedly in defiance of a previous court order and undertakings not to obstruct his rights.
He said “most egregiously” Switzer had collected €300,000 from Bela Prima, a promoter, depriving him of funds that were generated from his intellectual property. He said his solicitors had written to Switzer seeking return of the money but had been ignored.
He later discovered that a firm, Semmel Concerts GmbH, had paid funds to Switzer and this had not been disclosed to Flatley.
An affidavit was submitted by Denis O’Sullivan, a former garda who is now a Forensic Fraud and Asset Tracing Consultant who works for Flatley. He said he was retained to help trace the former dancer’s assets and liabilities.
He said the main concern of Flatley and his wife Niamh was that when Switzer took over management of their financial affairs in 2022, their borrowings were €4 million. By mid-2025 the debts had “spiralled to €17 million” and the family was given no explanation for this.
O’Sullivan said in his 46 years of professional experience “I have never encountered obstruction of the kind I have faced in this matter”. He said he had been met with “abuse, false allegations and outright dishonesty” from the directors of Switzer and their agents.
At a meeting between the parties last November 22nd, O’Sullivan alleged that a woman working for Switzer called Niamh Flatley “a f**ing c**t”.
“This was particularly distressing given that Mrs Flatley was seriously ill that day and required an oxygen mask throughout the meeting,” he said.
He said Des Walshe, Flatley’s former agent, “broke down and wept” at the end of the meeting. O’Sullivan said he regarded both displays as “deliberate theatrics designed to obstruct our access to the company’s financial records”.
O’Sullivan outlined how he had travelled to London on March 17th after learning that Switzer had organised a Lord of the Dance performance at the Annabel’s Club in Mayfair. He said he waited outside until the show was over to collect the costumes for transport to Croatia. He denied allegations that he “bullied or threatened any person” and said all his interactions with people were cordial.
O’Sullivan said upon arrival in Zagreb on March 24th an arena manager said Flatley’s production team would not be permitted to access the venue because of the ongoing dispute. O’Sullivan said Flatley’s production team withdrew to a nearby restaurant to avoid confrontation.
In his affidavit, Flatley complained that Switzer had made sustained approaches to the Lord of the Dance cast and crew to secure their compliance and to “induce confusion, uncertainty and disaffection amongst production personnel”.
He said dancers and crew were being pressured into working exclusively for Switzer.
Flatley complained that costumes, sets and equipment from the Lord of the Dance show in the 3Arena performance on February 5th were removed by Switzer’s agents and stored in containers at a premises in Finglas. He alleged that Switzer had “no lawful ownership” of the material.
He accused Switzer of running a campaign of interference against him by contacting suppliers and promoters to claim Flatley did not own the show or have the right to run it.
Flatley complained that John McGuinness, a lighting engineer who worked with Switzer, had contacted the Lord of the Dance crew to instruct them only to deal with himself or James Keegan, who works with Switzer. He said McGuinness had written that his instruction was “crucial and almost legal” and said it was something Switzer needed to happen to uphold their “legal entity”.
He complained that, despite his solicitor Creed McStay writing to warn him to stop his activities, McGuinness instead contacted a German promoter to seek a €400,000 payment.
Flatley said he disputes claims from Switzer and Des Walshe, his former agent, that he transferred all his intellectual property rights, valued at €158 million, for the sum of €1.
Switzer had previously accused Flatley of trying to “hijack” the tour to strip it of cash to fund his debts and personal lifestyle. On Wednesday evening, Conor Sally, solicitor for Switzer, said his client could not comment on proceedings where it was not represented.