A group of Cork friends have hired a minibus to travel to Galway this weekend to drink and smoke at Fibber Magees bar, which is flouting the smoking ban.
Organiser Mr Keith O'Connor said yesterday that he and his friends had virtually given up going to their local pub since the introduction of the ban. Instead, friends visit each other's homes at weekends where they order in kegs of beer so they can enjoy a cigarette with their drinks.
Mr O'Connor said he originally organised a bus for 22 people to go to Galway to Fibber Magee's on Saturday. But such was the demand that he might have to arrange a bigger bus.
Meanwhile a publican in Cobh, Co Cork, Mr Danny Brogan of Connie Doolan's, confirmed that he has been ignoring the smoking ban by having a special room at the back of the bar where smokers can go. "We've always had the room but we've never gone public about it until now after I heard about what they were doing at Fibber Magees."
