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The death of the American father of a late Rose of Tralee contestant has stalled a legal action he had taken against the festival directors, the High Court has heard. The action, by Richard Henggeler, 73, stemmed from a 'very significant fallout' and 'acrimonious dispute' between himself and two directors. Mr Henggeler, who died earlier this month, owned the Rose Hotel in Tralee with his Killarney-born wife Eibhlín Moriarty. His case had been listed for hearing on December 5, but a barrister for Mr Henggeler yesterday asked Judge Brian Cregan for the case to be mentioned at that time, 'to see where it goes from here'. The proceedings could potentially be taken on by Mr Henggeler's estate, but it will have to contend with the loss of the businessman, who would have been a chief witness. His daughter, Dorothy 'Dott' Moriarty Henggeler, was a popular contestant in the 2011 pageant when she repesented Washington DC, and is said to have loved her time with the other Roses. Two years later, while working in her dream job with Tourism Ireland New York, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and died in 2014, just before her 28th birthday. Her parents bought the 165-bedroom Fels Point Hotel in the Co. Kerry town from Nama, for €4million, and renamed it the Rose Hotel. Mr Henggeler, from Maryland, who sold his computer consultancy company for an undisclosed sum, gave €800,000 to the festival company during 2014 and 2015. In his case, he claims €700,000 of that did not benefit the festival company and was instead paid out to shareholders. He claims this included €550,000, which he said was used by the company's managing director, Anthony O'Gara, to pay off personal debts. He said he was 'taken advantage of' and claimed that he was an oppressed shareholder. Kerry Rose Festival Limited and its directors have not disputed that the money was disbursed to shareholders. They have said, however, that the money was not an investment in the company, but was used by Mr Henggeler to buy 31% of its shares from existing shareholders. Mr Henggeler was seeking orders compelling Mr O'Gara, who owns 55% of the shares, and another director, John McCarthy, who owns 6%, to sell their shares to him. On October 8, the Rose Hotel had announced the death of Mr Henggeler in a post on social media. It said: 'Dick passed away peacefully at his home in the United States, surrounded by his loving wife Eibhlín, his son Franz, and their family. 'Dick and Eibhlín purchased the hotel in 2015 as a lasting tribute to their daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington D.C. in the 2011 Rose of Tralee International Festival. 'The hotel was rebranded as The Rose Hotel in April 2016 and, under Dick's vision, became a labour of love - transformed into one of Kerry's leading fourstar-plus hotels, dedicated to delivering Kerry hospitality at its best.' The post continued: 'Dick was a forward-thinking, ambitious, and deeply courteous individual. 'He was a great listener who valued every opinion, a trusting leader who inspired confidence, and a thoughtful businessman who brought fresh ideas and energy to everything he did. 'His quiet determination and depth of character shaped not just The Rose Hotel, but every interaction he had with staff, guests, and the broader community.' It said that the Henggeler family would continue to own the hotel, and to honour his legacy and vision.
