Five members of the travelling community are each to get Stg£1,000 in compensation after being barred from a golf course in County Tyrone, it was announced today.
Dungannon Golf Club in Co Tyrone, once the home club of Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke, has also agreed to consider all future applications for membership without discrimination on the grounds of race.
The out-of-court settlement was announced today following a decision to refuse the men permission to play the parkland course in June 2000.
Equality Commission chief Joan Harbison, who backed the legal action, insisted no sections of the community should have to endure racism.
She said: "No one should be excluded from playing sports, shopping or from asocial life just because they belong to a particular group or community.
"Members of the Irish traveller community are entitled to receive the same treatment as members of the settled community."
Officials at Dungannon and the Ulster Branch of the Golfing Union of Irelandwere unavailable for comment.
But the decision is bound to have a major impact at some clubs on both sidesof the Irish border which have been forced to introduce security measures toprevent traveller settlements being located on their property.
It is understood the men had played the course along with non-travellers.
But when they later returned, this time unaccompanied, they were refusedpermission and asked to leave.
Their case was taken to a county court under the Race Relations (NorthernIreland) Order before the club issued an apology and admitted its guilt.
It also accepted that its practices and procedures were unlawful and contraryto the order.
Even though the men did not want to be identified, the Equality Commissioninsisted they were delighted with the outcome.
The apology and assurances they will be allowed to play the course in futurejust like other members of the public had been particularly satisfying for them,the commission added.
"We welcomed the opportunity to work with Dungannon Golf Club in reviewingits policies and training its staff," said Ms Harbison.
"This case gives notice to everyone providing goods, services and facilitiesthat it is not only wrong, but unlawful, to treat travellers in a discriminatorymanner."
PA