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Margaret Hanrahan protesting outside her home with representatives from ‘Friends of Banking’ and ‘Clonmel Says No’. Photo: Sandra Quinn

After years of fighting against the receivers and ACC Bank, Margaret Hanrahan in Burncourt finally has an end in sight, as the High Court have allowed her case to proceed to full trial.

Sign on the dotted line and commit to a payment plan - this was what Margaret did when she took out a loan with ACC Bank and now that she is embroiled in a legal battle with the bank and receivers, she is warning people not to go into loans lightly and to read everything they are signing.

Just this week, supporters travelled from Dublin, Longford and Clonmel to support Margaret and to stage a protest, which she dubbed as the 'Siege of Burncourt' outside her farm to show that she will not give up and she will continue to fight against the bank and the receiver.

Margaret said that there will be someone manning the gates of her property at all times, to make sure that the receivers don't send someone in to take her horses off the land.

Since the process began, Margaret has made claims about people coming into her land unlawfully, damaging property and in one case, a horse was butchered. She is now asking that the receivers be rescinded until the outcome of the full trial.

Some of those who joined her for the protest told The Avondhu that Margaret has to be admired, as many people in her position would have given up. But Margaret persevered and now she is seeing the results, as she will get to plead her case in court.

One of the protestors from 'Clonmel Says No' referred to the intimidation, bullying and menacing behaviour which Margaret had been subjected as 'criminal'.

Speaking about the progress, Margaret said that nobody thought she would ever get this far and she is now urging people to study their documents and see exactly what they are tied into.

"I want to help people to get out of this frightening nightmare of debt. If the case goes my way, I'll be asking for the farm to be put back as it was, for the receiver to be removed and let me get on with my life," she told The Avondhu.

Margaret also revealed that she intends to contest the upcoming local elections as an Independent candidate and that she would continue to fight for people who are in similar situations to her. 

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