HYPH Ireland v Michael Kiely
Decision Number: (UDD2533) Legal Body: Labour Court
Published on: 09/04/2026
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Duncan Inverarity Former Partner & Head of Employment Law, A&L Goodbody LLP
Duncan Inverarity Former Partner & Head of Employment Law, A&L Goodbody LLP
Duncan inverarity 100x100

Duncan Inverarity is a former a partner and Head of A&L Goodbody's Employment Law group and practiced exclusively in the area of employment law and industrial relations in multiple jurisdictions. Duncan advised public and private sector employers on both contentious and non-contentious matters. He advised Board rooms across Ireland and abroad on strategic and complex employment and industrial relations matters. Duncan also specialised in crisis management for clients and advised on some of the most high profile corporate issues in Ireland. Duncan regularly appeared for clients in the Workplace Relations Commission, the Circuit Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Duncan also acted for partnerships in mediated settlements and in proceedings in the High Court.

Appellant:
HYPH Ireland
Respondent:
Michael Kiely
Summary

Mr Kiely was unfairly dismissed without fair procedures. The Labour Court awarded €445,400 plus notice compensation, highlighting mitigation efforts and the restrictive impact of a non-compete clause on loss.

Background

Mr Kiely was the founder and chairman of HYPH Ireland Limited where he began employment in 2013.

An argument took place in November 2021 between Mr Kiely and the CEO of Hyph.

The following morning, he was notified via email that he was being dismissed over an issue with his visa status. Mr Kiely was dismissed without fair procedures.

Mr Kiely’s annual salary was in dispute between the parties, with Mr Kiely claiming it was $384,000, while HYPH claimed it was $204,000 plus a housing allowance.

Outcome

What did

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Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 09/04/2026
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