A well-known local businessman has dismissed claims made on social media that he was the main benefactor from a competition to win a holiday home or £40,000 in cash.

A ‘Win a Holiday Home’ competition was run by the South Donegal Bands Forum, with the mobile home to be provided at cost price if the winner wanted that option.

The home was provided by David Mahon, director of Castle Archdale Caravan Park and Camping Site.

On January 5, a live draw was made – however, some people subsequently took to social media and got in touch with The Impartial Reporter to question some of the prize winners.

The winning ticket was won by Dunwinter Properties Ltd, while the third prize (of £1,000 cash) went to MSC Syndicate.

Kesh businessman Mr. Mahon is a director for Dunwinter Properties and MSC Estates Ltd, while he is also the director of Castle Archdale Caravan Park and Camping Site, which put up the main prize.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Mr. Mahon hit out at claims that he won the holiday home due to his link with Dunwinter Properties.

He said: “Dunwinter Properties had bought a number of tickets in the draw, probably six months ago.

“I’m a director of Dunwinter Properties – but I actually don’t have any shares in it, and there are five companies that have the shares in it.

“They [people complaining on social media] aren’t looking any further [at who won the prize] – they are just looking at I’m a director, and they are not looking at who actually the shareholders are, and that is where the problem is.

“I am connected to them, but the way they [complainants] are putting it out is that I have won the £40,000 cash prize, or the caravan, which is not the way at all,” he insisted.

Mr. Mahon said the winners have decided to take the cash prize, so the mobile home he was providing if the winner wanted it does not come into the equation any more.

He had agreed to sell it to the Bands Forum at cost price if the winner decided to take it.

He also explained that he is a director of MSC, but was not a shareholder, and he criticised those who were making the claims without doing proper research.

“Somebody just looked at who the director is and didn’t look any further – they should look at who the shareholders of the company were.

“I could be a director of Heinz Beans or whoever owns it, but have no salary, and just be on [listed] as a director.”

Mr. Mahon said he was asked to help sell tickets for the draw, which was run to help cover the costs of travel for some bands.

“The ones who run the draw asked me to help sell tickets, because I’m involved in about 200 companies, and I went to companies and asked ‘Would they support this here and buy tickets to help this fundraiser out’, because they [South Donegal Bands Forum] took three bands away to Canada for the Twelfth, and they were fundraising to cover the cost of it.

“I only agreed to help them sell tickets, and other than that I have no interest in it,” explained Mr. Mahon, who added that he was a minority shareholder in some of the companies who hold shares in Dunwinter Properties.

“Any accountant or solicitor could look at that, and say, ‘David Mahon wouldn’t ever get that’ [win such a prize, as some have claimed] because there are five different shareholders, and I am a shareholder in some of them, so my bit will be very little,” he added.

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