Legal action was initially taken by the company, formerly known as Quinn Industrial Holdings, after members of the family reportedly staged protests at its head offices in Derrylin. The incidents were said to be linked to the detention of 25-year-old Bernard McGovern on charges of assaulting two Mannok bosses at a Co Cavan service station back in February 2019.
McGovern, a medal-winning boxer from Springtown Road in Kinawley, Co Fermanagh, was subsequently convicted and jailed for that attack. In August 2020, four other members of the McGovern family gave voluntary undertakings not to protest in areas where they could be seen by senior representatives of Mannok. They also pledged that any placards used in future would not contain the names of the executives, or make any accusations against them, as part of a settlement reached in a lawsuit for alleged trespass and harassment.