RESIDENTS of Dartmouth Square in Dublin could be facing an unhappy new year of legal battles for their beloved park because its controversial owner is refusing to hand over deeds to a liquidator.

Businessman Noel O'Gara shot to notoriety after his purchase of the Georgian Square in 2005 for the paltry sum of around €10,000.

Now, just when it looked like residents were set for a festive return to the old days, O'Gara has once again refused to relinquish his iron grip on their square.

Previous caretaker Dublin City Council won a court application last October to wind up Marble & Granite Tiles Ltd, of which Dartmouth Square is the principal asset, as a result of over €43,000 in unpaid legal fees owed by O'Gara's company from previous court skirmishes.

According to Labour councillor Oisin Quinn, who masterminded the legal move to win back the park on behalf of residents, O'Gara must now obey the terms of the liquidation which means handing over the deeds of the square.

Dublin City Council could have resumed caretaking responsibilities at the park from New Year's Day before eventually purchasing it back from the liquidator, minus the money already owed to them in legal fees.

Despite losing control of the land over four years, it would have proved a virtual "cost neutral" exercise for the local authority, explained Cllr Quinn.

It also would have ushered in a new era of access for residents following long periods where it was locked up and left to fall into serious disrepair.

"Residents will probably be able to reflect on this more happily once this is over," said Quinn.

"If you were living around that square with that uncertainty and anxiety and a bit of aggravation – I think people will be very, very relieved when it's finally finished."

But O'Gara, a passionate proponent of a man's right to keep his own land, is not set to let the matter rest.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune last week, he said he was angered by the High Court ruling and is now appealing the matter to the Supreme Court, claiming a further adjournment in the case of one year.

"I am not going to lose control of the park," he said, vowing to continue the never-ending legal saga.

However, informed sources have said that the liquidator is very likely to bring a separate court application forcing O'Gara to respect the terms of the initial order and hand over the deeds, as his company has been liquidated.