Two brown envelopes containing €50,000 in cash were given to Richard Thomson-Moore by auctioneer John Stokes, who described them, the High Court heard, as “a luck penny from Mr Magnier”.

In court, Richard Thomson-Moore said he was shocked to receive the money, while his wife Anna told the judge: “I’m a lawyer and I’ve never heard the phrase “luck penny” before.

The Magniers have described the money as a token of appreciation for allowing Coolmore machinery onto Barne land before the now-contested sale was concluded.

Now The Dealer is well familiar with the phrase and, as anyone at Cahirmee Fair last week knows, it is given by the seller to the buyer after a deal is closed, to give good luck. In this case the luck penny went the opposite way, from buyer to seller.