Irish Examiner view: US court case brings a sad end to Kerry siblings' dream
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There is something almost Homeric about the predicament Kerry siblings Dónal and Helen O’Sullivan find themselves in after appearing in a US district court judge Pamela Chen yesterday.
For years, construction company Navillus — the name is an inversion of the family surname — was the epitome of an Irish success stateside. But the O’Sullivans are being held partly responsible for payroll fraud that deprived workers of certain benefits that should have been paid on their behalf into union funds. The chief financial officer, Padraig Naughton, once of Tipperary, has already received a jail sentence.
The O’Sullivans, who have become known as the Ballinskelligs Two, have a huge level of support, both in the US and at home in Kerry, including from staff, ex-employees, and business associates.
Navillus contracted on prestige projects such as the 9/11 memorial, Grand Central Station, Madison Square Garden, the Apple flagship store in Manhattan, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. It had been one of the biggest contributors to union benefits funds in New York City, providing $145m (around €133m) between 2011 and 2017.
The complicated court case brings a sad end to their American dream but maintains a residue of sympathy and respect for years of good work.