A private party for BBC chat show host Patrick Kielty or any other celebrity did not give the owner of a Dublin nightclub the right to flout the licensing laws, Judge Timothy Lucey said yesterday.
He told Lillie's Bordello manager Ms Valerie Roe that there seemed to be "a management problem" at her club which led to gardaí finding a lot of people on the premises long after closing time on two consecutive nights. The club and its attached pub, Judge Roy Beans, were fined €4,000.
Dublin District Court heard that 60 people were found upstairs in Lillie's at 4.40 a.m. on March 16th last. The following night, St Patrick's Day, more than 100 were gathered at 4.25 a.m. in the upstairs area of Judge Roy Beans at a party for Mr Kielty.
A large number of names and address of the people found on were taken and one man who refused to give his name had to be arrested and taken to a Garda station.
Ms Roe said while she accepted there was no excuse, the second night was a private party and the cash tills had been closed at 2.30 a.m. "Patrick Kielty arrived late and while we do clear the premises, it is very hard to get individuals out one by one," she said. Asked how come gardaí saw at least one person being served a pint of beer at 4.25 a.m, she said it may have been pre-paid.
The company which owns both premises, Ardclose Taverns Ltd, has three previous convictions for after hours drinking.
Ms Dorothy Collins, counsel for the company, pleaded with the judge not to endorse because even though there had to be three endorsements before a premises would have to be closed or have its licence transferred, a single one could affect the lease.
Judge Lucey said he could understand a breach occurring on one night, but not two nights in a row. "Whoever the party was for, they are not above the law just because they are somebody who is famous or apparently famous. It is the law and everybody else has to close."
He also told Ms Roe: "If you are too genteel to put out your famous customers, that is tough. Your club is subject to the same strictures as everybody else. If you have got famous people, you must put them out like everybody else and if not, then frog march them off and call the gardaí."
Judge Lucey said he would not impose an endorsement but applied four €1,000 fines.
A second club, Reynards, avoided getting a second endorsement on its licence after owner Mr Robbie Fox gave a similar undertaking.
Gardaí found six people on the premises at 4.50 a.m. on March 16th last. Mr Fox claimed they were waiting for him to give them a lift home. He said he would try to comply with the gardaí. He was fined €1,250.