A case being taken by an Australian MP against her former husband, Mr John Coote, over the Bellamont Forest estate in Cootehill, Co Cavan is to begin in the High Court in Dublin on May 12th.
Ms Andrea Coote is taking the case against Thameside Holdings Ltd over the 18th century manor house and parkland estimated to be worth €11 million.
The date for the hearing, which is expected to take four weeks, was set yesterday after it was mentioned in the High Court.
The couple were divorced in the early 1990s. The court case centres on the estate which is held in trust for their son. They also have two daughters.
The dispute over the estate has continued for 13 years since the couple's divorce settlement with Ms Coote pursuing an interest in the property.
The manor house is Bellamont Forest, built at Cootehill in 1730 for Mr Thomas Coote, Lord Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland.
The house is regarded as one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in Ireland. It was designed by Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, the foremost architect of the day.
It passed in and out of the family's hands until it was bought by a trust set up by Mr Coote for his son, Angus, in the late 1980s.
Mr Coote is the founder and principal designer of Coote Hill International, and the founder of Coote Hill Design in New York City. He is based at his Bellamont Forest estate although he travels extensively.
Ms Coote is the deputy leader of the opposition in the Victorian Division and deputy leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party in the Legislative Council.
She is based in Port Melbourne and is now married to British stockbroker Mr Alan Naylor.