A Dublin court has granted a licence to a strip club backed by Peter Stringfellow, albeit with strict conditions attached.
There was fierce local opposition to the granting of a licence to the club on Parnell Street, which will be the largest of its kind in Dublin with up to 100 dancers working on two floors.
At the Richmond District Court in Dublin, Judge Anne Watkins said she sympathised with local residents who felt offended by the opening of such a club in their area.
"I can't refuse a licence on the basis that people aren't happy with it rather than an objection that comes within the law," she said.
The court heard the club would not be a lap dancing club as such but would be one where semi-clad and unclad women entertained customers by dancing in front of them without any physical contact.
Judge Watkins laid down a number of conditions which the club would have to comply with before she granted the public dancing licence it had sought.
The conditions were that it cannot open before 6.00pm; it cannot admit more than 500 people; its dancers cannot physically touch the customers or perform their dances away from the stage or table areas and they are also not allowed to mingle with customers while undressed.
The judge also said there must be security manning the doors to the club at all times to prevent excessive noise and public order offences by customers; no people under the age of 21 can be admitted and there can be no signs featuring naked women displayed on the outside of the club to protect local schoolchildren
Outside the court, Peter Stringfellow claimed victory and said he was delighted with the outcome.
"I'm delighted that the judge saw exactly what we were asking and granted it accordingly," he said. "I was pleasantly surprised that the judge was quite worldly and understood the situation, that Dublin is an international city and part of Europe. I think today's decision emphasised that."
Stringfellow has invested in the club and has reserved the right to terminate its licence if it falls below his accepted standards, but is not a shareholder of the company which is running it.
The Ruhama Group, which works with the victims of sex trafficking and prostitution, had expressed opposition to the Stringfellow's club on the grounds that it might provide a gateway into the sex industry for vulnerable women.
Spokeswoman Gerardine Rowley said those concerns still remained. "We're bitterly disappointed and we're disappointed for the residents' sake too," she said. "As we heard in court there are 300 people who have lived in the area for years who are objecting to this but unfortunately the club is going to go ahead."
It is expected the club will open next month.