1.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Statute of Limitations, 1957.

(2) This Act shall come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1959.

2.—(1) In this Act—

“the Act of 1891” means the Registration of Title Act, 1891;

“action” includes any proceeding (other than a criminal proceeding) in a Court established by law;

“action to recover land” includes—

(a) an action claiming a declaration of title to land,

(b) proceedings by a mortgagee for the delivery of possession of land by a mortgagor,

(c) proceedings under section 13 of the Registration of Title Act, 1942 (No. 26 of 1942), by a person who is registered under the Act of 1891 as the owner of a charge on registered land for possession of the land;

“arbitration”, “arbitration agreement” and “award” have the same meanings as in the Arbitration Act, 1954 (No. 26 of 1954);

“conventional rent” means a rent payable under a lease or other contract of tenancy (whether in writing or not and whether express or implied) and includes the rent payable by a statutory tenant within the meaning of the Rent Restrictions Act, 1946 (No. 4 of 1946), but does not include a fee-farm rent payable under a grant which creates the relationship of landlord and tenant;

“foreshore” means the bed and shore, below the line of high water of ordinary or medium tides, of the sea and of every tidal river and tidal estuary and of every channel, creek, and bay of the sea or of any such river or estuary;

F1[‘judgment mortgage’ means a mortgage registered by a judgment creditor under section 116 of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009;]

“land” includes corporeal hereditaments and rentcharges, and an interest in the proceeds of the sale of land held upon trust for sale, but save as aforesaid does not include any incorporeal hereditament;

“mortgage” includes an equitable mortgage and a judgment mortgage and “mortgagor”, “mortgagee” and cognate words shall be construed accordingly;

“the operative date” means the 1st day of January, 1959;

“other limitation enactment” means any enactment (other than this Act) relating to the limitation of actions;

“personal estate” does not include chattels real;

“personal injuries” includes any disease and any impairment of a person’s physical or mental condition;

“personal property” does not include chattels real;

“personal representative” means the executor, original or by representation, or the administrator of a deceased person and includes, in relation to land to which the Land Purchase Acts apply, a person who, under those Acts, is, for the purposes of proceedings under those Acts, appointed to be the administrator of the personal estate of a deceased person or nominated to represent a person dead, absent or under a disability;

“registered land” means land the title to which is registered under the Act of 1891;

“rentcharge” means any annuity or periodic sum of money charged upon or payable out of land, and includes—

(a) any annual or periodic payment to the Irish Land Commission, including an annuity in repayment of an instalment mortgage payable into the Church Temporalities Fund, and

(b) any periodic payment which was immediately before the 6th day of December, 1922, collectable under the Crown Lands Acts, 1829 to 1913, being—

(i) a crown rent, or

(ii) a quit rent, or

(iii) a composition rent, or

(iv) any other rentcharge, and

(c) a fee-farm rent, whether the grant under which it arises does or does not create the relationship of landlord and tenant,

but does not include—

(d) a conventional rent, or

(e) interest on a mortgage or charge on land, or

(f) a terminable annuity payable in respect of a loan under the Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1929 and 1934;

“ship” includes every description of vessel used in navigation not propelled by oars;

“State authority” means any authority being—

(a) a Minister of State, or

(b) the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland, or

(c) the Irish Land Commission, or

(d) the Revenue Commissioners, or

(e) the Attorney General.

“Trustee.”

(2) (a) In this Act, “trustee” does not include—

(i) a person whose fiduciary relationship arises merely by construction or implication of law and whose fiduciary relationship is not deemed by any rule of law to be that of an express trustee, or

(ii) a personal representative in the capacity of personal representative.

(b) Where—

(i) an interest (in this paragraph referred to as the new interest) in land, which is conveyed to or vested in a purchaser under the Land Purchase Acts, is, under any provision of those Acts or otherwise, a graft or deemed to be a graft on any previous interest in that land or any other land, and

(ii) the new interest is subject to any rights or equities arising from its being such a graft,

then, neither the purchaser nor any person claiming through him shall, by reason only of the matters mentioned in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this paragraph, be, in respect of the new interest, a trustee for the purposes of this Act.

(c) F2[Where a person is registered as owner of land with a title which is or is deemed to be a possessory title, neither he nor any person claiming through him shall, by reason only of the registration, be, in respect of that land, a trustee for the purposes of the Statute of Limitations, 1957.]

(d) F3[A personal representative in the capacity of personal representative shall not, by reason only of section 10, be a trustee for the purposes of the Statute of Limitations, 1957.]

(3) F4[…]

Application of Act to charges for principal sums on registered land.

(4) In the application of this Act to registered land in respect of which a charge for the payment of a principal sum has been created under section 40 of the Act of 1891—

(a) references to a mortgagor shall be construed as references to the registered owner who charged the land,

(b) references to a mortgagee shall be construed as references to the registered owner of the charge,

(c) references to a mortgage shall be construed as references to the instrument of charge,

and cognate words shall be construed accordingly.

Claiming through a person.

(5) (a) For the purposes of this Act—

(i) a person shall be deemed to claim through another person, if he became entitled by, through, under or by the act of that other person to the right claimed;

(ii) a person whose estate or interest might have been barred by a person entitled to an entailed interest in possession shall be deemed to claim through the person so entitled.

(b) A person becoming entitled to any estate or interest by virtue of a special power of appointment shall not, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to claim through the appointor.

Right of action to recover land to include right to enter into possession, distrain, etc.

(6) In this Act—

(a) references to a right of action to recover land shall include references to a right to enter into possession of the land or, in the case of a rentcharge, to distrain for arrears of the rentcharge;

(b) references to the bringing of an action to recover land shall include references to the making of an entry into possession of the land or, in the case of a rentcharge, to making a distress for arrears of the rentcharge.

Possession and dispossession in the case of rentcharges.

(7) In this Act—

(a) references to the possession of land shall, in the case of a rentcharge, be construed as references to the receipt of the rentcharge, and

(b) references to the date of dispossession or discontinuance of possession of land shall, in the case of a rentcharge, be construed as references to the date of the last receipt of the rentcharge.

(8) In this Act, references to any enactment shall be construed as references to that enactment as amended or extended by any subsequent enactment.

3.—(1) Save as in this Act otherwise expressly provided and without prejudice to section 7 of this Act, this Act shall apply to proceedings by or against a State authority in like manner as if that State authority were a private individual.

(2) This Act shall not apply to—

(a) any proceedings for the recovery of any sum due in respect of a tax or duty which is for the time being under the care and management of the Revenue Commissioners, or interest thereon, or

(b) any proceedings for the recovery of any fine, penalty or forfeiture incurred in connection with any such tax or duty, or

(c) any forfeiture proceedings under the Customs Acts or the Acts which relate to the duties of excise and the management of those duties.

(3) Nothing in this Act shall affect the right of the State to any gold or silver mine.

4.—This Act shall not apply to any proceedings in respect of the forfeiture of a ship or of an interest in a ship under the Mercantile Marine Act, 1955 (No. 29 of 1955).

5.—Nothing in this Act shall affect any equitable jurisdiction to refuse relief on the ground of acquiescence or otherwise.

6.—For the purposes of this Act, any claim by way of set-off or counterclaim shall be deemed to be a separate action and to have been commenced on the same date as the action in which the set-off or counterclaim is pleaded.

7.—This Act shall not apply to—

(a) any action for which a period of limitation is fixed by any other limitation enactment, or

(b) any action to which a State authority is a party and for which, if that State authority were a private individual, a period of limitation would be fixed by any other limitation enactment.

8.—Nothing in this Act shall—

(a) enable any action to be brought which was barred before the operative date by any enactment repealed by this Act, except so far as the cause of action or right of action may be revived by an acknowledgment or part payment made in accordance with Part III of this Act, or

(b) affect any action commenced before the operative date or the title to any property which is the subject of any such action.

9.—The enactments mentioned in column (2) of the Schedule to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent mentioned in column (3) of that Schedule.

10.—The subsequent provisions of this Part of this Act shall have effect subject to the provisions of Part III of this Act which provide for the extension of the periods of limitation in the case of disability, acknowledgment, part payment, fraud and mistake.

11.—(1) The following actions shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued—

(a) actions founded on simple contract;

(b) actions founded on quasi-contract;

(c) actions to enforce a recognizance;

(d) actions to enforce an award, where the arbitration agreement is not under seal or where the arbitration is under any Act other than the Arbitration Act, 1954 (No. 26 of 1954);

(e) actions to recover any sum recoverable by virtue of any enactment, other than—

(i) a penalty or forfeiture or sum by way of penalty or forfeiture, or

(ii) a debt created by subsection (2) of section 14 or section 125 of the Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908, or

(iii) F5[…]

F6[(f) actions under the European Union (Protection of Trade Secrets) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 188 of 2018), other than Regulation 18 of those Regulations.]

(2) (a) F7[Subject to paragraph (c) of this subsection and to section 3 (1) of the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act, 1991, an action founded on tort shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.]

(b) F8[…]

F9[(c) A defamation action within the meaning of the Defamation Act 2009 shall not be brought after the expiration of—

(i) one year, or

(ii) such longer period as the court may direct not exceeding 2 years,

from the date on which the cause of action accrued. ]

F10[(d) An action for damages under section 13 (7) of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980, shall not be brought after the expiration of two years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.]

(3) F11[…]

F12[(3A) The court shall not give a direction under subsection (2)(c)(ii) (inserted by section 38 (1) (a) of the Defamation Act 2009) unless it is satisfied that—

(a) the interests of justice require the giving of the direction,

(b) the prejudice that the plaintiff would suffer if the direction were not given would significantly outweigh the prejudice that the defendant would suffer if the direction were given,

and the court shall, in deciding whether to give such a direction, have regard to the reason for the failure to bring the action within the period specified in subparagraph (i) of the said subsection (2)(c) and the extent to which any evidence relevant to the matter is by virtue of the delay no longer capable of being adduced.

(3B) For the purposes of bringing a defamation action within the meaning of the Defamation Act 2009, the date of accrual of the cause of action shall be the date upon which the defamatory statement is first published and, where the statement is published through the medium of the internet, the date on which it is first capable of being viewed or listened to through that medium. ]

(4) An action for an account shall not be brought in respect of any matter which arose more than six years before the commencement of the action.

(5) The following actions shall not be brought after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the cause of action accrued:—

(a) an action upon an instrument under seal, other than an action upon an instrument under seal to recover—

(i) arrears of a rentcharge or of a conventional rent, or

(ii) any principal sum of money secured by a mortgage or other charge, or

(iii) arrears of interest in respect of any sum of money secured by a mortgage or other charge, or

(iv) arrears of an annuity charged on personal property;

(b) an action to enforce an award, where the arbitration agreement is under seal;

(c) an action to recover a debt created by subsection (2) of section 14 or section 125 of the Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908.

(6) (a) An action shall not be brought upon a judgment after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the judgment became enforceable.

(b) No arrears of interest in respect of any judgment debt shall be recovered after the expiration of six years from the date on which the interest became due.

(7) (a) In this subsection “penalty” does not include a fine to which any person is liable on conviction of a criminal offence.

(b) An action to recover any penalty or forfeiture, or sum by way of penalty or forfeiture, recoverable by virtue of any enactment shall not be brought after the expiration of two years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.

(8) (a) Subsection (1) of this section shall apply to an action to recover seamen’s wages.

(b) Save as provided by paragraph (a) of this subsection, this section shall not apply to any cause of action within the Admiralty jurisdiction of the High Court which is enforceable in rem.

(9) (a) This section shall not apply to any claim for specific performance of a contract or for an injunction or for other equitable relief.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not be construed as preventing a Court from applying by analogy any provision of this section in like manner as the corresponding enactment repealed by this Act has heretofore been applied.

11A. (1) An action for damages under subsection (1) of section 14 of the Act of 2002 shall not be brought after the expiration of 6 years from the latest occurring of the following dates:

(a) the date on which the infringement of competition law to which the cause of action relates ceased;

(b) the date on which the person in whom the cause of action vests came to know or could reasonably be expected to have come to know of the acts or omissions that constituted such infringement;

(c) the date on which that person came to know or could reasonably be expected to have come to know that those acts or omissions constituted such an infringement;

(d) the date on which that person came to know or could reasonably be expected to have come to know that the infringement caused harm (within the meaning of the Directive) to that person;

(e) the date on which that person came to know or could reasonably be expected to have come to know the identity of the infringer concerned.

(2) Any period during which—

(a) an investigation under—

(i) Part 4A (inserted by section 31 of the Communications Regulation (Amendment) Act 2007) of the Act of 2002, or

(ii) paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 10 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014,

in relation to an infringement of competition law, or

(b) an investigation by the Commission of the European Union or a foreign competition authority in relation to an infringement of competition law,

is being conducted, shall not, as respects a cause of action relating to that infringement, be reckonable for the purpose of determining the period of 6 years referred to in subsection (1).

(3) Any period during which—

(a) proceedings for an offence consisting of an infringement of competition law,

(b) an action under section 14A (inserted by section 4 of the Competition (Amendment) Act 2012) of the Act of 2002 in relation to an infringement of competition law, or

(c) any other proceedings in relation to an infringement of competition law to which the competent authority (within the meaning of the Act of 2002) is a party,

is or are pending, shall not, as respects a cause of action relating to that infringement, be reckonable for the purpose of determining the period of 6 years referred to in subsection (1).

(4) Any period during which—

(a) proceedings before the General Court or the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to an infringement of competition law,

(b) proceedings for an offence under the law of a Member State (other than the State) in relation to an infringement of competition law, or

(c) any other proceedings in such a Member State in relation to an infringement of competition law to which a foreign competition authority is a party,

is or are pending, shall not, as respects a cause of action relating to that infringement, be reckonable for the purpose of determining the period of 6 years referred to in subsection (1).

(5) Any period during which a consensual dispute resolution process (within the meaning of the Directive) relating to an infringement of competition law is being conducted shall not, as respects a cause of action relating to that infringement, be reckonable for the purpose of determining the period of 6 years referred to in subsection (1), provided that the parties to that consensual dispute resolution process are the person in whom the cause of action vests and the person against whom the cause of action lies.

(6) The period of one year from—

(a) the conclusion or discontinuance of an investigation referred to in subsection (2),

(b) the giving of final judgment in, or the discontinuance of, proceedings referred to in subsection (3) or (4),

(c) the giving of final judgment in, or the discontinuance of, the action referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (3),

shall not be reckonable for the purpose of determining the period of 6 years referred to in subsection (1).

(7) This section does not apply to an infringement of competition law that occurred before 27 December 2016.

(8) In this section—

‘Act of 2002’ means the Competition Act 2002;

‘Directive’ means Directive 2014/104/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2014¹ on certain rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and of the European Union;

‘foreign competition authority’ has the meaning assigned to it by the Regulations of 2017;

‘infringement of competition law’ has the meaning assigned to it by the Regulations of 2017;

‘infringer’ has the meaning assigned to it by the Regulations of 2017;

‘Regulations of 2017’ means the European Union (Actions for Damages for Infringements of Competition Law) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 43 of 2017).]

12.—(1) Where—

(a) any cause of action in respect of the conversion or wrongful detention of a chattel has accrued to any person, and

(b) before he recovers possession of the chattel, a further conversion or wrongful detention takes place,

then, subject to section 26, no action shall be brought in respect of the further conversion or wrongful detention after the expiration of six years from the accrual of the cause of action in respect of the original conversion or wrongful detention.

(2) Where—

(a) any cause of action in respect of the conversion or wrongful detention of a chattel has accrued to any person, and

(b) the period fixed for bringing that action and for bringing any action in respect of such a further conversion or wrongful detention as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section has expired, and

(c) he has not during that period recovered possession of the chattel,

then, subject to section 26, the title of that person to the chattel shall be extinguished.

13.—(1) (a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subsection, no action shall be brought by a State authority to recover any land after the expiration of thirty years from the date on which the right of action accrued to a State authority or, if it first accrued to some person through whom a State authority claims, to that person.

(b) An action to recover foreshore may be brought by a State authority at any time before the expiration of sixty years from the date on which the right of action accrued to a State authority.

(c) Where any right of action to recover land, which has ceased to be foreshore but remains in the ownership of the State, accrued when the land was foreshore, the action may be brought at any time before the expiration of sixty years from the date of the accrual of the right of action, or of forty years from the date on which the land ceased to be foreshore, whichever period first expires.

(2) The following provisions shall apply to an action by a person (other than a State authority) to recover land—

(a) subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, no such action shall be brought after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued to the person bringing it or, if it first accrued to some person through whom he claims, to that person;

(b) if the right of action first accrued to a State authority, the action may be brought at any time before the expiration of the period during which the action could have been brought by a State authority, or of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued to some person other than a State authority, whichever period first expires.

(3) For the purposes of this Act—

(a) where a right of action to recover any land accrued to the Crown before the 6th day of December, 1922, the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued to a State authority on the date on which the right of action first accrued to the Crown;

(b) where a right of action to recover any land accrued to Saorstát Éireann before the 29th day of December, 1937, the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued to a State authority on the date on which the right of action first accrued to Saorstát Éireann;

(c) where a right of action to recover any land accrued to the State before the operative date, the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued to a State authority on the date on which the right of action first accrued to the State.

14.—(1) Where the person bringing an action to recover land, or some person through whom he claims, has been in possession thereof and has while entitled thereto been dispossessed or discontinued his possession, the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued on the date of the dispossession or discontinuance.

(2) Where—

(a) any person brings an action to recover any land of a deceased person, whether under a will or on intestacy, and

(ii) on failure to take possession on a death.

(b) the deceased person—

(i) was on the date of his death in possession of the land or, in the case of a rentcharge created by will or taking effect upon his death, in possession of the land charged, and

(ii) was the last person entitled to the land to be in possession thereof,

the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued on the date of his death.

(iii) on failure to take possession under an assurance.

(3) Where—

(a) any person brings an action to recover land, being an estate or interest in possession assured, otherwise than by will, to him or to some person through whom he claims, by a person who, at the date when the assurance took effect—

(i) was in possession of the land, or

(ii) was, in the case of a rentcharge created by the assurance, in possession of the land charged, and

(b) no person has been in possession of the land by virtue of the assurance,

the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued on the date when the assurance took effect.

15.—(1) Subject as hereinafter in this section provided, the right of action to recover any land shall, in a case where—

(i) on falling into possession of future interest.

(a) the estate or interest claimed was an estate or interest in reversion or remainder or any future estate or interest, and

(b) no person has taken possession of the land by virtue of the estate or interest claimed,

be deemed to have accrued on the date on which the estate or interest fell into possession by the determination of the preceding estate or interest.

(ii) where previous owner out of possession.

(2) (a) If the person entitled to the preceding estate or interest, not being a term of years absolute, was not in possession of the land on the date of the determination thereof, no action shall be brought by the person entitled to the succeeding estate or interest after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued to the person entitled to the preceding estate or interest, or of six years from the date on which the right of action accrued to the person entitled to the succeeding estate or interest, whichever period last expires.

(b) Where the State is entitled to the succeeding estate or interest, paragraph (a) of this subsection shall have effect with the substitution for the reference to twelve years of a reference to thirty years and for the reference to six years of a reference to twelve years.

(iii) saving for entailed interests.

(3) The foregoing provisions of this section shall not apply to any estate or interest which falls into possession on the determination of an entailed interest and which might have been barred by the person entitled to the entailed interest.

(iv) alienation while time is running.

(4) No person shall bring an action to recover any estate or interest in land under an assurance taking effect after the right of action had accrued to the person by whom the assurance was made or some person through whom he claimed or some person entitled to a preceding estate or interest, unless the person by whom the assurance was made could have brought such an action.

(v) future interest barred where present interest of same person barred.

(5) Where—

(a) any person is entitled to any estate or interest in land in possession, and

(b) such person is, while so entitled, also entitled to any future estate or interest in that land, and

(c) his right to recover the estate or interest in possession is barred under this Act,

no action shall be brought by that person or by any person claiming through him in respect of the future estate or interest, unless in the meantime possession of the land has been recovered by a person entitled to an intermediate estate or interest.

16.—(1) A right to recover land by virtue of a forfeiture or breach of condition shall be deemed to have accrued on the date on which the forfeiture was incurred or the condition broken.

(2) Where—

(a) a right of action to recover land by virtue of a forfeiture or breach of condition has accrued to a person entitled to an estate or interest in reversion or remainder, and

(b) the land was not recovered by virtue thereof, the right of action to recover the land shall not be deemed to have accrued to that person until his estate or interest fell into possession, as if no such forfeiture or breach of condition had occurred.

(i) tenancy at will.

17.—(1) (a) A tenancy at will shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be determined at the expiration of one year from the commencement thereof, unless it has previously been determined.

(b) The right of action of a person entitled to land subject to a tenancy at will shall be deemed to have accrued on the date on which the tenancy is determined.

(c) No mortgagor or beneficiary shall, for the purposes of this subsection, be deemed to be a tenant at will to his mortgagee or trustee.

(ii) tenancy, without lease in writing, from year to year or other period.

(2) (a) A tenancy from year to year or other period, without a lease in writing, shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be determined at the expiration of the first year or other period.

(b) The right of action of a person entitled to land subject to a tenancy from year to year or other period, without a lease in writing, shall be deemed to have accrued at the date of the determination of the tenancy, unless any rent or other periodic payment has subsequently been received in respect of the tenancy, in which case the right of action shall be deemed to have accrued on the date of the last receipt of rent or other periodic payment.

(iii) wrongful receipt of conventional rent under a lease in writing.

(3) Where—

(a) any person is in possession of land by virtue of a lease in writing by which a yearly conventional rent of not less than twenty shillings is reserved, and

(b) the rent is received by some person (in this subsection referred to as the wrongful recipient) wrongfully claiming to be entitled to the land in reversion immediately expectant on the determination of the lease, and

(c) no rent is subsequently received by the person rightfully so entitled,

the right of action of the last-named person to recover the land shall be deemed to have accrued at the date when the rent was first received by the wrongful recipient and not at the date of the determination of the lease.

(4) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to a tenancy at will granted by a State authority, and subsection (3) of this section shall not apply to a lease granted by a State authority or a lease the lessor’s interest under which is vested in a State authority.

18.—(1) No right of action to recover land shall be deemed to accrue unless the land is in the possession (in this section referred to as adverse possession) of some person in whose favour the period of limitation can run.

(2) Where—

(a) under the foregoing provisions of this Act a right of action to recover land is deemed to accrue on a certain date, and

(b) no person is in adverse possession of the land on that date,

the right of action shall not be deemed to accrue unless and until adverse possession is taken of the land.

(3) Where a right of action to recover land has accrued and thereafter, before the right of action is barred, the land ceases to be in adverse possession, the right of action shall no longer be deemed to have accrued and no fresh right of action shall be deemed to accrue unless and until the land is again taken into adverse possession.

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) possession of any land subject to a rentcharge by a person (other than the person entitled to the rentcharge) who does not pay the rentcharge shall be deemed to be adverse possession of the rentcharge, and

(b) receipt of the conventional rent under a lease by a person wrongfully claiming to be entitled to the land in reversion immediately expectant on the determination of the lease shall be deemed to be adverse possession of the land.

19.—Where—

(a) a person entitled in remainder under a settlement to an estate tail in any land has made an assurance thereof which fails to bar the issue in tail or the estates taking effect on the determination of the estate tail or fails to bar the said estates only, and

(b) any person (other than some person entitled to possession by virtue of the settlement) is in possession of the land for a period of twelve years from the commencement of the time at which the assurance, if it had then been executed by the person entitled to the estate tail, would have operated, without the consent of any other person, to bar the issue in tail and the said estates,

then, at the expiration of that period, the assurance shall operate, and be deemed always to have operated, to bar the issue in tail and the said estates.

20.—For the purposes of this Act—

(a) no person shall be deemed to have been in possession of any land by reason only of having made a formal entry thereon,

(b) no continual or other claim upon or near any land shall preserve any right of action to recover the land.

21.—Where any one or more of several persons entitled to any land as F14[…], joint tenants or tenants in common have been in possession of the entirety or more than his or their undivided share or shares of such land for his or their own benefit or for the benefit of any person or persons other than the person or persons entitled to the other share or shares of such land, then, for the purposes of this Act, such possession shall not be deemed to have been the possession of such last-mentioned person or persons or any of them.

22.—F15[…]

23.—For the purposes of the provisions of this Act relating to actions for the recovery of land, an administrator of the estate of a deceased person shall be deemed to claim as if there had been no interval of time between the date of the death of the deceased person and the grant of letters of administration.

24.—Subject to section 25 of this Act and to F16[section 49 of the Registration of Title Act, 1964], at the expiration of the period fixed by this Act for any person to bring an action to recover land, the title of that person to the land shall be extinguished.

25.—(1) Subject to section 44 of this Act, the provisions of this Act shall apply to equitable estates in land, including interests in the proceeds of the sale of land held upon trust for sale, in like manner as they apply to legal estates in land, and accordingly a right of action to recover the land shall, for the purposes of this Act but not otherwise, be deemed to accrue to a person entitled in possession to an equitable estate in land in the like manner and like circumstances and on the same date as it would accrue if his estate were a legal estate in the land.

(2) Where any land is held upon trust, including a trust for sale, and the period fixed by this Act has expired for the bringing of an action to recover the land by the trustees, the estate of the trustees shall not be extinguished if and so long as the right of action to recover the land of any person entitled to a beneficial interest in the land or in the proceeds of sale either has not accrued or has not been barred by this Act, but, if and when every such right of action has been so barred, the estate of the trustees shall be extinguished.

(3) Where any land is held upon trust, including a trust for sale, an action to recover the land may be brought by the trustees on behalf of any person entitled to a beneficial interest in possession in the land or in the proceeds of sale whose right of action has not been barred by this Act, notwithstanding that the right of action of the trustees would apart from this provision have been barred by this Act.

(4) Where F17[…] any land held on trust for sale is in the possession of a person entitled to a beneficial interest in the land or in the proceeds of sale, not being a person solely and absolutely entitled thereto, no right of action to recover the land shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to accrue during such possession to any person in whom the land is vested as trustee or to any other person entitled to a beneficial interest in the land or the proceeds of sale.

26.—(1) Where any chattels are held upon trust, including a trust for sale, and the period fixed by this Act has expired for the bringing of an action to recover the chattels by the trustees, the title of the trustees shall not be extinguished if and so long as the right of action of any person beneficially entitled to the chattels either has not accrued or has not been barred by this Act, but, if and when such right of action has been so barred, the title of the trustees shall be extinguished.

(2) Where any chattels are held upon trust, including a trust for sale, an action to recover the chattels may be brought by the trustees on behalf of any person beneficially entitled in possession to the chattels or in the proceeds of sale whose right of action has not been barred by this Act, notwithstanding that the right of action of the trustees would apart from this provision have been barred by this Act.

(3) Where any chattels held upon trust, including a trust for sale, are in the possession of a person entitled to a beneficial interest in the chattels or in the proceeds of sale, not being a person solely and absolutely entitled thereto, no right of action to recover the chattels shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to accrue during such possession to any person in whom the chattels are vested as trustee or to any other person entitled to a beneficial interest in the chattels or the proceeds of sale.

27.—(1) No action shall be brought or distress made to recover arrears of a rentcharge or damages in respect thereof after the expiration of six years from the date on which the arrears became due.

(2) In subsection (1) of this section, the word “action” does not include proceedings under section 37 of the Land Act, 1927 (No. 19 of 1927).

28.—No action shall be brought or distress made to recover arrears of a conventional rent or damages in respect thereof after the expiration of six years from the date on which the arrears became due.

29.—(1) The Irish Land Commission shall not issue a warrant under section 28 of the Land Act, 1933 (No. 38 of 1933), in respect of any moneys which became due and payable to them more than six years before the date of the warrant.

(2) A warrant under section 28 of the Land Act, 1933, shall remain in force for a period of six years from the date thereof and no longer and shall not cease to be in force by reason of the fact that the person named therein as defaulter has died or otherwise ceased to be in occupation of the lands described therein during the said period.

30.—No action shall be brought or distress made to recover arrears of dower or damages in respect thereof after the expiration of six years from the date on which the arrears became due.

31.—No action shall be brought to recover arrears of an annuity charged on personal property or damages in respect thereof after the expiration of six years from the date on which the arrears became due.

32.—(1) No action shall be brought by a State authority claiming the sale of land which is subject to a mortgage or charge after the expiration of thirty years from the date on which the right of action accrued to a State authority or, if it first accrued to some person through whom a State authority claims, to that person.

(2) The following provisions shall apply to an action by a person (other than a State authority) claiming the sale of land which is subject to a mortgage or charge:—

(a) subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, no such action shall be brought after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued to the person bringing it, or, if it first accrued to some person through whom he claims, to that person;

(b) if the right of action first accrued to a State authority, the action may be brought at any time before the expiration of the period during which the action could have been brought by a State authority, or of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued to some person other than a State authority, whichever period first expires.

F18[(3) In the case of a judgment mortgage, the right of action accrues from the date the judgment becomes enforceable and not the date on which it is registered as a mortgage. ]

33.—At the expiration of the period fixed by this Act for a mortgagee to bring an action claiming sale of the mortgaged land, the title of the mortgagee to the land shall be extinguished.

34.—(1) (a) Where a mortgagee of land has been in possession of any of the mortgaged land for a period of twelve years, no action to redeem the land of which the mortgagee has been so in possession shall thereafter be brought by the mortgagor or any person claiming through him.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection does not apply in respect of a Welsh mortgage.

(2) Where a mortgagee of land under a Welsh mortgage which provides that the rents and profits are to be applied in reduction of the principal moneys and interest has been in possession of the land for a period of twelve years commencing on the date on which all the principal moneys and interest have been satisfied, no action to redeem the land shall thereafter be brought by the mortgagor or any person claiming through him.

35.—Subject to section 52 of the Act of 1891, at the expiration of the period fixed by this Act for a mortgagor to bring an action to redeem land subject to a mortgage, the title of the mortgagor to the land shall be extinguished.

36.—(1) (a) No action shall be brought to recover any principal sum of money secured by a mortgage or charge on land or personal property (other than a ship) after the expiration of twelve years from the date when the right to receive the money accrued.

(b) In its application to—

(i) a mortgage, interest on which is payable into the Church Temporalities Fund, or

(ii) a charge on land under section 31 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, or

(iii) a charge on land under the Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1929 and 1934,

paragraph (a) of this subsection shall have effect as if for the words “twelve years” there were substituted “thirty years”.

(2) The right to receive any principal sum of money secured by a mortgage or other charge shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed not to accrue so long as the property subject to the mortgage or charge comprises any future interest or any life insurance policy which has not matured or been determined.

37.—(1) No action shall be brought to recover arrears of interest payable in respect of any principal sum of money secured by a mortgage or charge on land or personal property (other than a ship) or to recover damages in respect of such arrears after the expiration of six years from the date on which the interest became due.

(2) Where—

(a) a prior mortgagee or other incumbrancer has been in possession of the property charged, and

(b) an action is brought within one year of the discontinuance of such possession by a subsequent incumbrancer,

he may recover by that action all the arrears of interest which fell due during the period of possession by the prior incumbrancer or damages in respect thereof, notwithstanding that the period exceeded six years.

(3) Where—

(a) the property subject to a mortgage or charge comprises any future interest or life insurance policy, and

(b) it is a term of the mortgage or charge that arrears of interest shall be treated as part of the principal sum secured by the mortgage or charge,

interest shall not be deemed to become due before the right to receive the principal sum of money has accrued or is deemed to have accrued.

38.—At the expiration of the period fixed by this Act for a mortgagee of land to bring an action to recover the land or for a person claiming as mortgagee or chargeant to bring an action claiming sale of the land, the right of the mortgagee or such person to the principal sum and interest secured by the mortgage or charge shall be extinguished.

39.—At the expiration of the period fixed by this Act for a mortgagee or chargeant to bring an action to recover a principal sum of money secured by a mortgage or charge on personal property (other than a ship), the right of the mortgagee or chargeant to the principal sum and interest shall be extinguished.

40.—An action in respect of a right in the nature of a lien for money’s worth in or over land for a limited period not exceeding life, such as a right of support or a right of residence, not being an exclusive right of residence in or on a specified part of the land, shall not be brought after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued.

41.—At the expiration of the period fixed by this Act for any person to bring an action in respect of a right in the nature of a lien for money’s worth in or over land for a limited period not exceeding life, such as a right of support or a right of residence, not being an exclusive right of residence in or on a specified part of the land, the said right shall be extinguished.

42.—The sum in respect of interest due on foot of a chattel mortgage (within the meaning of the Agricultural Credit Act, 1947 (No. 14 of 1947)) which may be certified in an order under section 26 of that Act shall not include any interest which accrued due more than six years before the date of the order.

43.—(1) (a) Subject to section 44 of this Act, an action to recover money or other property or in respect of any breach of trust, not being an action for which a period of limitation is fixed by any other provision of this Act, shall not be brought against a trustee or any person claiming through him after the expiration of six years from the date on which the right of action accrued.

(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection, a right of action shall be deemed not to have accrued to a beneficiary entitled to a future interest in trust property until the interest falls into possession.

(2) No beneficiary, as against whom there would be a good defence by virtue of this section, shall derive any greater or other benefit from a judgment or order obtained by another beneficiary than he could have obtained if he brought the action and this Act had been pleaded in defence.

44.—No period of limitation fixed by this Act shall apply to an action against a trustee or any person claiming through him where—

(a) the claim is founded on any fraud or fraudulent breach of trust to which the trustee was party or privy, or

(b) the claim is to recover trust property or the proceeds thereof still retained by the trustee or previously received by the trustee and converted to his own use.

45.—F19[(1) Subject to section 71, no action in respect of any claim to the estate of a deceased person or to any share or interest in such estate, whether under a will, on intestacy or under section 111 F20[or section 111A] of the Succession Act, 1965, shall be brought after the expiration of six years from the date when the right to receive the share or interest accrued.

(2) No action to recover arrears of interest in respect of any legacy or damages in respect of such arrears shall be brought after the expiration of three years from the date on which the interest became due.]

46.—F21[…]

73.—In this Part of this Act—

“the Court” means the High Court.

F29[74.— (1) For the purposes of this Act and for the purposes of any other limitation enactment, arbitral proceedings shall be deemed to be commenced on—

(a) the date on which the parties to an arbitration agreement so provide as being the commencement date for the purposes of the commencement of arbitral proceedings under the agreement, or

(b) where no provision has been made by the parties as to commencement as referred to in paragraph (a), the date on which a written communication containing a request for the dispute to be referred to arbitration is received by the respondent.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), unless the parties otherwise agree, a written communication is deemed to have been received if it is served or given to the respondent in one or more of the following ways:

(a) by delivering it to the respondent personally;

(b) by delivering it to the respondent’s place of business, habitual residence or postal address;

(c) where none of the addresses referred to in paragraph (b) can be found after making reasonable inquiry, by sending it by pre-paid registered post or by any other form of recorded delivery service addressed to the respondent at his or her last known place of business, habitual residence or postal address.

(3) Unless the parties otherwise agree, where a written communication under this section has been delivered to a respondent in accordance with subsection (2), the communication is deemed to have been received on the day it was so delivered.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (2), a company registered under the Companies Acts shall be deemed to be habitually resident at its registered office in the State and every other body corporate (wherever it is incorporated) and every unincorporated body (wherever it carries out its activities) shall be deemed to be habitually resident at its principal office or place of business. ]

75.—This Act and any other limitation enactment shall apply to arbitrations as they apply to actions in the Court.

76.—Notwithstanding any term in an arbitration agreement to the effect that no cause of action shall accrue in respect of any matter required by the agreement to be referred until an award is made under the agreement, the cause of action shall, for the purposes of this Act and of any other limitation enactment (whether in their application to arbitrations or to other proceedings), be deemed to have accrued in respect of any such matter at the time when it would have accrued but for that term in the agreement.

77.—Where the Court orders that an award be set aside F30[…], the Court may further order that the period between the commencement of the arbitration and the date of the order of the Court shall be excluded in computing the time fixed by this Act or any other limitation enactment for the commencement of proceedings (including arbitration) with respect to the dispute referred.

78.—This Part of this Act shall apply to an arbitration under an Act as well as to an arbitration pursuant to an arbitration agreement, and section 74 of this Act shall have effect, in relation to an arbitration under an Act, as if, for the references to the arbitration agreement, there were substituted references to such of the provisions of the Act or of any order, scheme, rules, regulations or bye-laws made thereunder as relate to the arbitration.

79.—This Act shall not apply to—

(a) any arbitration for which a period of limitation is fixed by any other enactment, or

(b) any arbitration to which a State authority is a party and for which, if that State authority were a private individual, a period of limitation would be fixed by any other enactment.

80.—Nothing in this Act shall effect an arbitration commenced before the operative date or the title to any property which is the subject of any such arbitration.