Rathwood Garden Centre Enters Examinership and Cannot Issue Refunds to Customers
Rathwood Home & Garden World, one of Ireland's best-known garden centres and outdoor furniture retailers, has formally entered examinership, leaving hundreds of customers who paid for undelivered orders unable to obtain refunds while the company restructures under court protection.
Background
Rathwood, based near Tullow on the Carlow-Wicklow border, employs approximately 100 people and has been a popular destination for home and garden shoppers for many years. The company had been experiencing significant difficulties in 2025, becoming the second most complained-about company to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) helpline, with 565 complaints — a dramatic increase from just 24 complaints in 2024. The complaints primarily concerned delays in order deliveries and difficulties obtaining refunds.
Key Developments
Rathwood formally entered examinership on 24 April 2026, with Padraic Bermingham of Strata Financial appointed by the High Court as Examiner to oversee the restructuring process. Examinership is a legal process in Ireland that allows financially distressed but viable companies to restructure their finances under court protection from creditors.
The company has stated it will continue to trade as normal during the examinership period, with its retail, restaurant, and other services remaining open. However, Rathwood has explicitly confirmed it is "not in a position" to process any outstanding payments or refund requests relating to amounts owed prior to 24 April 2026. These matters will be reviewed as part of the examinership process.
Customers have expressed significant frustration. One customer, Olivia Dunne, reported spending €1,300 on garden furniture in February 2026 that was due in March but had not arrived. Another customer paid €378 for outdoor furniture on 6 April 2026, which is now in limbo. A Facebook group dedicated to the refund issue has grown to 700 members. The company attributed some of its difficulties to losing a main supplier of garden furniture and subsequently having to rebuild its supply chain.
Why It Matters
The case highlights the risks consumers face when paying in advance for goods from retailers experiencing financial difficulties. Earlier in April 2026, the CCPC had reported that Rathwood had signed legally binding commitments to issue refunds — commitments that now cannot be honoured during the examinership period.
What's Next
The Examiner and management are working under High Court supervision to secure the business's future and protect the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, and creditors. Further updates are expected once the Examiner completes the initial report. Read the full RTÉ report here.
