The minimum for the Commercial Court is €1m so you can't use that either.
I am not a solicitor, but as I understand it, there is no defence to a bounced cheque, so you don't have to prove that the debt is due. In other words, by writing the cheque, they are acknowledging the debt.
If it is a company, you could threaten to wind them up. This is expensive, but the threat is often enough to get a smaller amount paid.
Ask a solicitor.