CELIA Larkin, the former partner of Bertie Ahern, said she was "disappointed" she did not get the chance to contest a personal injury claim taken against her beauty salon Beauty at Blue Door.

Carmel Brierty of Ratoath, Co Meath last week settled a personal claim against Larkin's firm for an undisclosed amount, although maximum damages of €38,000 had been applied for.

Brierty claimed she suffered from swollen eyes and a rash following beauty and waxing treatments in the Navan Road Blue Door salon in 2003.

"I would have contested the claims, but the insurers settled and that was that," said Larkin.

"I really would have welcomed the chance to defend my business, and put our side forward, for ourselves and for the therapist whom the allegations were made against."

Larkin said she could have presented a "very good defence case. The woman in question had a wax before and never suffered adverse reactions at that time. The day in question, when the woman received the treatment, was a hot day and the woman also travelled outside Ireland soon afterwards. There were other factors in this."

Larkin declined to comment further on the issue, but sources said she is "shocked at the settlement" and had planned on defending herself against the claims.

"Celia felt she had a good chance of defending herself and her business. More to the point, she wanted to defend the therapist as well. She has been a long time in business now and this is the first time she has come up against anything like this.

"She wasn't aware the case was going to be settled out of court in the first place, and she only heard about this during the week."

Brierty, who earlier in the week said she was glad the case was over after seven years, declined to comment on the settlement when contacted.

Larkin set up a string of beauty salons in 2003, but eventually sold the majority of them, including two in Limerick in 2008. She continues to operate from her Drumcondra premises.

Before setting up the salons, she left her job as constituency secretary in the Taoiseach's office to set up her image consultancy, Celia Larkin Personal Image Consultant, in 1999.

Despite previous financial setbacks, Larkin said she was optimistic about the year ahead for the salon.

"Business for the beauty industry appears to be picking up slightly and it is looking a lot more promising now, in comparison to last year when the recession was hitting us a lot harder."