They have crippled their church with a massive €18
million debt but the bosses of the bust Victory Christian Fellowship
have spent years buying up a staggering amount of property for
themselves.
The Sunday World now lifts the lid on the
astonishing portfolio owned by pastors Brendan and Sheila Hade and some
of their family.
The one-time electrician and his wife and their sons have at least 30 homes, some of them luxury mansions.
And their property empire stretches from Dublin as far as Galway and Waterford.
On top of that, we can reveal that their playboy son Brian (44), a
former male model, has had his 30ft speedboat seized at Dun Laoghaire
marina because of non-payment of berthing fees.
The former Lamborghini-driving father of three, who ditched his
wife Majella after starting an affair with a young Latvian girl he met
in a bar, has also had two helicopters impounded.
Former followers of the controversial Church were last night demanding to know where the money came to finance such an astonishing lifestyle.
The Sunday World was the first to reveal earlier this month how
Victory had lost its charitable status following an investigation by
Revenue.
The move sparked the Bank of Scotland, who were owed €18 million in
loans by Victory and a further €2 million by the Hades for two of their
own premises, to call in receivers.
The Hades and fellow pastor, Gerry Byrne, ask followers to donate one tenth of their earnings to their church.
They preach that the “more money you give, the more blessings you get” and would
collect at least €10,000 a week in donations. Followers now want to
know their cash was not used to buy the Hades’s huge array of homes.
The most impressive of these is the family home, Fountain Head, a
magnificent four-storey mansion in exclusive Rocbrook in the Dublin
Mountains.
Brendan (72) and Sheila also still own the previous family home,
Rosebank, on Ballyboden Road, Rathfarnham, which they rent out as a
shelter.
According to public records, they also own 61 and 62 Castlegate,
Castle Street, Dublin; 33/34 Main Street, Rathfarnham; Apartments 132
and 133 Jervis Place, Great Strand St; Apartment 34, Virginia Hall,
Belgard Square, Tallaght; a property on Ballyboden Road and 20 Old
Orchard townland.
In 20 Ellensborough Crescent, Kiltipper, Tallaght, their names are
registered as owners even though the property was bought by Victory. The
couple also own 61 Richardson’s Folly in Co. Waterford and land in
Clifden, Co. Galway.
Brian and estranged wife Majella own the exclusive 8 Brehons Chair, Kellystown Road, Dublin; Brentwood
House, Ballyboden Road, Rathfarnham, which they rent out as a
homeless hostel; Apartment 50, Block E, Belgard Square West, Tallaght;
Apt 14, Ivy Exchange, Parnell Street; land in Old Orchard townland and
lands in Clifden, Co. Galway.
The Hades’ son, Niall (44), owns Highfield, Woodtown Way, Stocking
Lane, Rathfarnham; 31 Loretto Park, Rathfarnham; 752a Virginia Heights,
Springfield, Dublin; 92 Moy House, Custom House Square; 24 St Maelruans
Park, Tallaght; land on Blessington Road, Tallaght; 107 Jervis Place,
Abbey St and a house on The Park, Garranswood, Tallaght.
He also owns a property at South City Business Centre, Tallaght.
Another son Cormac, Niall’s twin, owns 43 Maplewood Park and 27
Maplewood Lawn, Tallaght; 28 and 29 Verschoyle Heights, Blessington
Road, Saggart; another property on Blessington Road; and 11 Woodford Rd,
Knockmitten.
Since the receiver took possession of three Victory properties –
the giant Tallaght church, Kilmacud House in Stillorgan and Westland Row
in the city
centre – the Hades and Gerry Byrne have been holding services in hotels.
And they have still been urging their congregation to “give as much
as you possibly can” even though the mortgages with Bank of Scotland
are not being paid.
Brendan and Sheila Hade will be back in court on Tuesday when the
receivers will be attempting to get a temporary injunction against them
made permanent.
Receivers were locked out of the Victory buildings until Brendan,
Sheila, Brian and Niall Hade were all taken to court and had to promise
not to interfere.
One insider said: “It [the injuction] will cost them €20,000 to get
the ball rolling and a High Court challenge can soon jump to €100,000.
“Who will be paying for that? I imagine Sunday’s donations will be going straight to paying the lawyers.”
Victory was left to pick up the bill for a previous court action involving the Hades and Gerry Byrne.
The three trustees claimed Portlick Castle in Glasson, Co
Westmeath, was part of Victory’s assets when taking out loans from the
Bank of Scotland.
But Victory never owned it. Only a deposit was ever paid but Niall Hade still squatted in it for several years, leasing it out for weddings.
After castle owners Portlick Glasson Ltd took legal action to evict
them, the Hades agreed in 2011 to pay €450,000 damages and forfeited
the €240,000 deposit.
But they used the Victory charity to settle the bill.
The Sunday World spoke to several creditors who claim they were never paid for goods or services supplied to the castle.
“That’s the problem with the Hades. They are so arrogant they feel
they don’t have to pay their bills,” said one. “If you go up to their
house they will threaten you with the gardai for hassling them.”
Brendan and Sheila Hade recently claimed they never took a penny off Victory and lived off incomes from their own businesses.
But we can reveal today that the three companies Brendan Hade is
still officially a director of have all been dissolved: Sounds Great
Ltd, Milverton House Ltd and Xpressions Nail and Beauty.
Victory lost its charity status because businesses were being run
from the church, including a Starbucks coffee shop and restaurant.