The three daughters of the founder of Fossett's Circus have taken a High Court action against the estate of their three deceased brothers.
The daughters, all in their 70s, claim to be entitled to one-sixth of the circus enterprise.
Mr Justice Kelly was told that the legal proceedings were initiated in 1992 and that numerous attempts to resolve the dispute had failed.
During yesterday's hearing, the judge agreed to two short adjournments to allow further discussions to take place. However, he was later told by Mr Pat Butler SC, for the three sisters, that the action was going ahead.
The proceedings are brought by Mary and Amy Garcia, both with addresses at Borneville Village, Birmingham, and Mona Garbola, with an address at The Grange, Lucan, Co Dublin, where the circus has its headquarters.
Their action is against the late Edward and John Fossett, whose estates are represented at the hearing by Mr Barry Bowman, solicitor, and the estate of the late Robert Fossett, Fossett Brothers Circus Ltd and Fossett Enterprises Ltd.
Mr James Dwyer SC, for the dead brothers' estates, told the court Fossett's Circus, while extremely famous in Ireland, had never made a great deal of money.
The defence denies the three daughters' claims that there is an equal partnership or that they are entitled to one-sixth of the enterprise.
Mr Butler said the dispute concerned the children of the circus founder, Mr Edward Fossett, who died in 1951 leaving the circus assets to his six children equally. Nothing had occurred to dissolve that partnership. His clients alleged the brothers had, in effect, appropriated the assets for their own use and bought land in Lucan and Co Laois with money from the partnership. The lands remained in the brothers' names. The lands in Laois were sold in 1998.
Mr Butler said the equipment and paraphernalia of the business were again appropriated by the brothers to their own use when they formed companies to operate the business. From the mid-1960s to the present date, they had never accounted to the sisters in respect of the undertaking.
In evidence, Ms Amy Garcia in evidence said she was about 15 when her father died and she worked in the ticket office. She had married in 1960 and went abroad, returned and then left again. When working she and her sisters did not have wages but got £5 a week for food. After her father's death, she believed the business would operate as a family business. Money did not worry them at the time; they just wanted the show to go on. The sisters agreed "the boys" would run the business. The girls would do different jobs but would never interfere in the business.
Mr James Dwyer SC, on behalf of the dead brothers estates, put to Ms Garcia she had done nothing since 1982 for what she claimed was a partnership. Ms Garcia said she always understood it was for the family. The sisters did not get involved. They trusted their brothers.
The hearing continues today.