As more than 60,000 pupils celebrated their Junior Certificate results yesterday, the first conviction under new legislation of a pub for serving alcohol to underage teenagers has been handed down.
The prosecution arose following a complaint from a mother who found her son and daughter drunk on the streets of Oughterard, Co Galway. The prosecution was taken under the Intoxicating Liquor Act, which was signed into law in June.
The Welcome Inn, owned by Christina Kenny, and run by her son, John Kenny, at Main Street, Oughterard, was summonsed under the legislation for serving drink to several people under 18 years of age on August 27th. The prosecution was brought by Supt Michael Curley at Oughterard District Court last Tuesday - the eve of the results. He said a mother who arranged to pick up her son and daughter, aged 14 and 15, on August 27th, found both children drunk on the street. She went to the pub to complain, got no satisfaction and made a formal complaint to the Garda.
Christina Kenny pleaded guilty to serving intoxicating liquor to a person aged under 18 and was fined £500. John Kenny was also prosecuted for allowing young people under the age of 18 to be on the premises unaccompanied by adults; with allowing people under the age of 18 to work and serve drink behind the bar and with allowing young people to drink on his premises. He was convicted and fined a total of £700 for these offences. Judge John Garavan, on the application of Supt Curley, revoked the pub's licence for seven days and ordered its closure for seven days from October 13th.
The Kennys were given leave to appeal his decision.
Meanwhile, as students celebrated last night, representatives of publicans around the State said their members would be requesting anyone who appeared under-age to produce the new national age card developed by the Department of Justice.
A Garda spokesman confirmed that some forged cards were circulating in Castlebar, Co Mayo, but said they were of "inferior" quality and would not pass as authentic.
More than 15,000 people have been issued with a card so far.