Patrick McKillen jnr is to ask the Circuit Civil Court to protect his Ring of Kerry chocolate company, Seaclaidi Na Sceilge Teoranta, from its creditors through the appointment of an examiner.

Barrister Ross Gorman told Judge John O’Connor that the property developer, son of wealthy businessman Paddy McKillen, will later this month mount his legal bid to save the company which operates under the business name of Skelligs Chocolate.

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McKillen jnr, of The Birches, Torquay Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18 will ask Judge O’Connor to appoint chartered accountant Joseph Walsh, who has agreed to act as examiner, when the application is brought before the court again on March 20th.

Gorman, who appeared with Kane Tuohy Solicitors for the company which is currently unable to pay its debts, told O’Connor that an independent expert, Cormac Mohan, of Fitzwilliam Corporate, was of the opinion that Skelligs Chocolate had a reasonable prospect of survival and could be saved if an examiner was appointed.

He said Skelligs Chocolate, which trades from The Glen, Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, employed 24 permanent and part-time staff whose jobs could be saved.

O’Connor heard that the Ring of Kerry tourist attraction normally opened from Easter to late October although the company operated a year-through service for its customers which included artisan food shops, delicatessens, grocery and bookstores, off-licences and gift shops together with blue-chip customers such as Arnotts, Avoca, Brown Thomas and Dublin Airport.

The company, which was incorporated in October 1998 had been bought by McKillen’s company Keillan Limited from former owner Colm Healy in March 2022 for €2 million.

Gorman said the company was insolvent and the appointment of an examiner was desirable in the expectation he could prepare an acceptable scheme of arrangement with Seaclaidi Na Sceilge Teoranta’s creditors.

The company had approached Joseph Walsh of JW Accountants in Dublin 4 and he had agreed to act as accountant if appointed by the court. In July 2025 Colin Gaynor of Resolute Advisory had been appointed receiver over the landlord’s interest in the company’s property but this had been challenged in the High Court and the receiver had stepped down.

The court heard that €485,000 was owed to the landlord company which was a connected party to Skeaclaidi Na Sceilge. The company paid an annual rent of €388,000 but the landlord had agreed to reduce the rent to €108,000 on a temporary basis. When a petition to wind-up the company had been presented a number of local politicians had publicly stated how the company’s business was very important to the area and to south Kerry.

In a company outline to the court, it was stated the big three main corporates in the confectionery market were Cadbury, Nestle and Mars. In a highly competitive market the company had been forced to increase its prices on core products of between 25 and 30 per cent which, with other key raw materials and distribution costs, the increase in chocolate costs had an adverse impact on company gross margins.

The court will be told that McKillen jnr, as the sole director, had indicated a willingness to invest funds in the company in order to assist sustainable growth through a forward-looking sales strategy supported by enhanced operational efficiency.