Laois solicitor Philip Meagher used client cash to fund Forest Fest music event, court hears

A suspended solicitor was found to have used his clients’ money to fund a music festival featuring acts such as Madness and the Fun Lovin’ Criminals.

The findings against Philip Meagher of Midland Legal Solicitors in Portlaoise, Co Laois, were set out in High Court filings from the Law Society, which regulates the profession.

Meagher, who was suspended from legal practice earlier this month, is the founder of Forest Fest, a summer music festival that attracts thousands of revellers to Emo, Co Laois. The Charlatans and Echo & the Bunnymen performed there in July.

In court submissions before Judge Oisín Quinn, Law Society investigator Michael O’Connor said festival cash flow was financed by the money of legal clients over three years.

Money in solicitors’ client accounts is held on trust for clients and can be used only for their benefit, with their authority and in their interests.

At the time of his suspension, Meagher was directed to prepare the orderly wind-down of his practice and hand over client ledgers, computers, hard drives and passwords.

O’Connor, an accountant, swore an affidavit citing his findings from an interim report after he carried out a four-day inspection of Meagher’s office in September.

He found money from other legal clients was put to the benefit of Meagher’s company Forest Fest Ltd, which runs the festival and which itself had client accounts with his legal practice.

“Client moneys that were available in the client account, but not standing to the credit of that client company, were improperly used to assist the business interests of that client company, in particular in the funding of a music festival,” O’Connor said in his affidavit.

“Payments were made out of the client account over a number of years, generating a series of deficits, with the deficits eventually cleared when the proceeds of ticket sales were remitted to the client account through two companies.

“While these deficits were in existence, other client moneys were improperly placed at risk.” O’Connor found a deficit in client funds close to €450,000 on June 30th 2026 had risen to €1.13 million by August 11th.

In addition, client ledgers associated with Forest Fest Ltd were overdrawn in specific periods in 2024, 2025-2026 and between August and September 2026.

Forest Fest: Dexys playing at the Co Laois music festival in 2024. Photograph: Fionn Mulvey “The deficits were cleared, it is understood, on foot of ticket sale income transferred from a company called Eventbrite that provided a ticket sales platform, through a company called Digimark and then lodged to the client account,” O’Connor said.

“Festival cashflow was financed by way of other clients’ moneys from the client account in the years 2024, 2024 and 2026,” he added.

“There was a risk to client moneys had either Eventbrite or Digimark failed to remit the money that was ultimately lodged in the client account to clear the various deficits.” Referring to Meagher, O’Connor said: “The respondent solicitor is the beneficial owner of Forest Fest Ltd, the client company in the interests of which other client moneys were applied.” He went on to say, “no apparent legal service was provided to Forest Fest Ltd in relation to the making of payments for a music festival and the receipt of takings/income relating to same”.

In addition, various payments associated with the staging of Forest Fest 2027 were to fall due in coming months “creating a risk that future deficits could arise on the client account”.

Asked on Friday whether he had any comment on the findings, Meagher replied by text message: “I have commented previously in respect of that matter and in circumstances where issues are still sub judice it would be inappropriate to comment further.” Story courtesy the Irish Times