A former childminder employed by Cranberries' singer Dolores O'Riordan and her husband Don Burton told the High Court yesterday she had not left their employment but was told by Mr Burton in "the most colourful terms" that she could leave.
Ms Joy Fahy (34) was being cross-examined at the resumed hearing of her action against the Burtons alleging breach of contract. The hearing opened last late last month and ran for three days before adjourning for the Easter break until today.
Ms Fahy, from Batterstown, Co Meath, claims the Burtons breached a contract entered into with her on or about April 9th, 1999. Under that contract, she claims they agreed to employ her as a full-time childminder.
She claims her employment was to commence on June 1st, 1999 and last for a year but that she was let go after a short time.
Mr Bill Shipsey SC, for the defence, said his clients would hotly dispute the claim that their son Taylor would be in the bar area of the house with strangers.
Ms Fahy claimed that on several occasions Dolores had pointed out to her that there were people in the house and in the bar and she did not even know their names.
Referring to Ms Fahy's earlier evidence alleging that, on one occasion in Canada in 1999, Mr Burton had gone out on a jet ski with a beer in one hand and baby Taylor in the other, Mr Shipsey suggested that was impossible and did not happen.
Ms Fahy said it did happen. What Mr Burton had done was extremely dangerous, she said.
On July 1st, 1999 Ms Fahy said she fired. Mr Burton came back and threw her passport at her. Her impression was that "you are going home, you are fired."