Ryanair DAC V Bellew – What Does This Decision Mean For Restrictive Covenants In Ireland?

Breda O’Malley and Niamh Cassidy examine the recent High Court decision in the Ryanair DAC v Peter Bellew case.  The  judgment is attached here.

Ryanair lost its application to the High Court, to compel Mr Bellew to comply with the restrictive covenants in his employment contract. Notwithstanding the outcome, the High Court is clearly supportive of the part restrictive covenants play in protecting business interests. We examine the issues of enforceability of restrictive covenants in the decision of Mr Justice Allen below.  The Court had to assess whether Ryanair’s restraints on Mr Bellew were justifiable to protect Ryanair’s business, rather than to “hobble” Mr Bellew in the