Restaurant Pays a Heavy Price After Falsely Accusing Millionaire Family of Dining and Dashing

After dining at a restaurant, an Irish millionaire family was stunned to find themselves publicly accused of skipping out on their bill, facing online abuse and defamation. The restaurant ultimately paid a steep price after the family took legal action.

In July 2024, Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their children Peter Jr. and Carol, visited The Horse & Jockey Inn in Peak District, Derbyshire, England. The McGirr family is highly respected in Ireland, where they own McGirr Engineering—a world-renowned company specializing in construction machinery manufacturing.

At the restaurant, the family enjoyed ribeye steak, cured ham, salad, and beer. However, after they left, the restaurant’s Facebook page posted a video accusing them of dining and dashing, claiming they had failed to pay a $200 bill. The video quickly went viral, and the family became the target of intense online criticism across the UK and Ireland. In a society where such behavior is widely condemned, the false accusation severely damaged the reputation of Peter McGirr.

It was later revealed that the accusation was based on misinformation. The McGirr family had in fact paid by card, but a staff member had failed to enter the transaction into the restaurant’s system. Outraged by the false allegation, Peter McGirr filed a lawsuit against the restaurant for defamation and reputational damage.

Realizing their mistake, the restaurant attempted to reconcile. Owner John Watson (59) flew to Ireland and personally visited the McGirr family to apologize. He offered a complimentary extended vacation and free meals as a goodwill gesture. However, the McGirr family declined the offer.

“A lot of people might have accepted that. But given the McGirr family’s wealth and longstanding good reputation, this should never have happened,” said a spokesperson for the family. “Their name was so severely damaged that legal action was the only path to restoring it.”

The McGirr family is well-known and respected in the town of Omagh, Northern Ireland. They are one of the region’s long-established wealthy families and often organize initiatives to support local economic development. The defamatory post shocked the local community and not only tarnished their honor but also negatively affected their business, as the family faced widespread condemnation.

Ultimately, restaurant owner John Watson agreed to pay $100,000 in compensation and an additional $80,000 to cover legal fees.

Though the compensation was not significant for the McGirr family—one machine sold by their company costs around $150,000 —they pursued the lawsuit to the end to protect their reputation. Had the restaurant owner handled the matter more carefully, clarified the situation, and contacted the customers before making the public accusation, he might have avoided the consequences of “losing both money and goodwill.”