Noel Martin Snr & Pat Martin
Also known as: Nerá Investments Ltd, Drumgoan Developments Ltd, Mardon Property Developments Ltd and 19 other companies
Brothers Noel & Pat Martin are prolific housebuilders and landlords. During the Celtic Tiger years they built housing estates in their native Co. Monaghan and in Counties Louth, Laois and Offaly, and appeared to be enjoying the fruits of this labour.
In 2015 however, their company Mardon Property Developments went into receivership appointed by NAMA (National Asset Management Agency), and then in 2017 the NAMA subsidiary National Asset Loan Management DAC (NALM) declared them bankrupt, with debts of roughly €9 million. Since then, they’ve been in and out of the courts trying to have this bankruptcy judgement removed - most recently in August 2024.
They’ve also kept very busy managing their substantial rental portfolio, which has made them no stranger to the RTB - 21 cases between the pair of them since 2016. The Martin brothers particularly dislike returning their tenants’ deposits, with 15 separate RTB cases resulting in them being ordered to repay deposits to their former tenants. The RTB has also ruled in 10 separate cases that they sent invalid notices of termination, i.e. illegal eviction notices.
In 2021, Noel Martin Snr was fined €1500 for assaulting a female tenant in Carrickmacross,
"attempting to pull off her hijab, shouting and demanding that she give him his “f***ing rent”".
While it was also reported he was trying to appeal this charge, we can find no evidence it was ever appealed and the tenant, her husband and 3 young children left the rented property shortly afterwards, as they did not want to remain there. Their rental deposit of €1,195 was not returned, but they do not appear to have taken this case to the RTB.
Developer fined €1,500 for assaulting Muslim tenant - Irish Independant (archive version)
In another case a family moved into one of their properties in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan:
“after a couple of days in the dwelling, the children started to cough and were brought to the GP… the children were taken on a fishing trip and the coughing ceased, however once they were back in the dwelling the coughing recommenced... as a result, [the Tenants] moved their children out of dwelling to her mother’s house, due to concerns for their health... the Respondent Landlord was informed of the mould in the dwelling and the associated coughing… the Respondent Landlord seemed surprised at this and said the house was new.”
Report of Tribunal Reference No: TR0519-003760 / Case Ref No: 0319-53121 - RTB
Shortly after this, the tenants informed their landlord, Noel Martin, that they would leave the tenancy, as they were concerned for the childrens’ health.
“they attended at the Respondent Landlord’s offices and he said there was no problem with vacating the dwelling… the Tenants then went back to the dwelling to find the locks changed.” At the time of this Tribunal hearing, the tenants were still locked out of their former home: “to date they have not had their belongings returned to them nor the deposit of €3,000…. in addition, the Respondent Landlord had sent them an invoice for the amount for €16,500 for balance of rent for 11 months for the dwelling.”
Interestingly, many of Noel and Pat’s rental properties in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan are in the development that is under scrutiny from NAMA in the Lough na Glack estate.
Noel Snr’s bad temper is not reserved for his tenants: recently a couple in Co. Laois had to secure an injunction against him. The Martins’ company Drumgoan Developments Ltd was in a dispute about the ownership of a property just outside Portarlington, Co. Laois. Not only was Drumgoan judged not to be the owner of the property, Noel Martin Snr was ordered not to contact the occupants of the property during the case, as he was threatening them, however he breached this order at least twice. In a hearing in May 2024, the judge told him “You may think you are the Lord God Almighty, but you are not.”
Today Noel’s sons Darren & Noel Jnr continue the family legacy, with their companies Dúnkeel, Drumgoan, Sionna Homes and various others taking advantage of the current lucrative market by renovating and building new houses to rent. Fortunately for them Darren and Noel Jnr seem unscathed by their father and uncle’s financial troubles.
The younger Martins also dabble in the extremely profitable business of refugee accommodation. In 2019 they turned the East End Hotel in Portarlington, Co. Laois (owned by Noel Snr and Patrick Martin) into a Direct Provision centre. Since 2023 their company Nera Accommodation Ltd has been paid €6,590,887 by the government for housing refugees in conditions the Movement of Asylum Seekers of Ireland have described as ‘appalling’.
Statement on appalling conditions in the East End Hotel in Portarlington - MASI