EXCLUSIVEPeter Kay facing court battle over bitter land dispute with neighbour that could see comedian lose access to part of his Irish holiday bolthole
Peter Kay is at the centre of a bitter boundary dispute at the idyllic Irish holiday home where he retreats to escape the pressures of fame.
If the 51-year-old comedian loses his battle over a strip of land with a neighbouring farmer, he faces not being able to access his own driveway.
Kay, whose mother Deirdre hails from Northern Ireland, has owned the second home, set in the countryside in County Tipperary, for almost 20 years.
He has loved escaping to the bolthole with wife Susan, 53, and, when they were younger, their sons Charlie, 21, and Finley, 18.
But recently the sense of tranquillity his family enjoy there has been undermined as Kay, estimated to be worth around £35 million, has been drawn into an increasingly fraught legal battle over the land between his and a neighbour's property.
The row, with veteran farmer Michael Quigley, has escalated so intensely that the hearing of Mr Quigley's case against the couple has been listed to take place on February 18 at Nenagh Civil Court.
Mr Quigley, who is in his 50s, declined to discuss the case when approached by The Mail on Sunday last week.
Peter Kay, 51 with his wife Susan, 53. The comedian faces not being able to access his own driveway of his Irish holiday home if he loses a battle over a strip of land with a neighbouring farmer
Mr Kay has owned the second home, set in the countryside in County Tipperary, for almost 20 years
But another neighbour familiar with the situation told us: 'Peter and Susan have owned their house here for 19 years and have really put down roots.
'They use the house as an escape and it's very isolated so it's not like we see much of them.
'They've lived right next door to Michael Quigley's farmland for all that time and not had any issue with each other – until now.
'But now things have definitely deteriorated, which is why it's gotten to the stage of a court date being set to resolve their argument.
'The amount of land contested is relatively small – it's just a fraction of the Kays' whole plot – but part of it is on the driveway that links their house to the road.
'If the court ruling goes against them, then in theory the Kays could end up with some access issues to their own property.'
The dispute is understood to centre on a small patch of land which both Kay and the farmer believe they legally own.
The Quigley family first bought the land, mostly consisting of farming fields, in 1976 with Michael taking over the property in 2008 – two years after the Kays bought their relatively modest four-bedroom home, which is now worth around £600,000.
In recent years, the Kays have made fewer trips to their Irish getaway, but in 2018 it was the family's place of solace after the comedian abruptly cancelled a live tour due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'.
County Tipperary in Ireland. Despite making fewer trips to his getaway, Mr Kay took solace at the holiday retreat after cancelling a live tour in 2018 due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'
The row has escalated so intensely that Kay faces a court hearing this month (Pictured: Ballina, County Tipperary)
Bitter dispute: The disagreement is understood to centre on a small patch of land which both Kay (pictured) and the farmer believe they legally own
Kay performing at the Royal Variety Performance, the Lowry Theatre in Manchester on December 5, 2011
Kay had told fans, who were eagerly awaiting the tour, that he had to 'put family first'.
And he went on to more or less vanish from public life for two years while mostly living in the Irish property.
During that time, the Lancashire-born star kept out of the spotlight, rarely making visits to local restaurants or pubs.
Kay was approached last night for comment.
