Two Westport brothers, who own the Carraig Donn clothing company, have been urged by a High Court judge to use mediation to settle a dispute between them over the running of the firm.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly urged Vincent and Patrick Hughes not to allow a court battle distract them from their business, which has a turnover of €30 million a year, 350 employees and 100 more jobs in the pipeline.

The judge made the comments when agreeing yesterday to transfer to the Commercial Court proceedings by Vincent Hughes against his brother Patrick.

Vincent claims he can no longer trust his brother to honour the terms of a 1997 restructuring agreement and he wants orders under section 205 of the Companies Act 1963 bringing an end to “acts of oppression” against him by either cancelling or varying various transactions.

The judge has adjourned the matter to next May and urged the brothers to make serious efforts in the interim to resolve the dispute.