A District Court judge has refused an application by a Sligo nightclub that would have allowed patrons bring in their own alcohol for an event this day week.
Publican Daniel McGarrigle told Judge Kevin Kilrane he was trying to respond to a changing market, particularly among students, in which off-licences and house parties were now his main competitors.
But Judge Kilrane described the concept as wrong from beginning to end and impossible to control.
Full report from Harry Keaney:
The application before Sligo District Court this morning was for an event this day week at the Sixth on Teeling Nightclub.
Mr. McGarrigle told the court he was in the business of selling alcohol and providing entertainment.
The business was seeing a decrease in numbers and average spend and they were trying to counteract that.
The idea was to restrict people to bringing in four cans of alcohol and 500 millilitres of mixed spirits.
However, Judge Kilrane noted that was a half litre of mixed spirits and he wondered who was going to determine the concentration of alcohol.
Mr. McGarrigle said patrons would be searched as they came in and would be given wrist bands.
Once inside, they would not be able to bring in more alcohol.
He said they ran an event like this earlier in the year and it was successful, adding that patrons would be coming into a controlled environment rather than drinking in houses.
Solicitor Ita Lyster said her client had spent a lot of money advertising the event and about 840 tickets had already been sold.
Mr. McGarrigle told the Judge he would be prepared to impose further restrictions.
Judge Kilrane said the thought of people bringing in 500ml of spirits was frightening and beggared belief, adding that the concept was wrong from beginning to end.
As to the possibility of people selling alcohol to each other within the nightclub, the Judge said it would be absolutely impossible to control.
“There would be chaos. It’s a crazy scheme,” the Judge said
He refused the application.
An application for an ordinary exemption for the club for next Thursday night will be heard before Carrick on Shannon District Court tomorrow morning.
