Application for exemption at Newmarket venue refused following Garda objection

A DISTRICT COURT judge has ruled in favour of an objection by Gardaí to the granting of an exemption to Safari’s Nightclub in Newmarket for a planned function at the venue on Friday night.

Addressing Judge Miriam Walsh at last Tuesday’s sitting of Mallow District Court, Superintendent Billy Duane said he had no objection to the event, a retirement do for a local Garda which was also a fundraiser for the Cancer Connect charity.

Supt Duane said the State’s objection was to the exemption, in light of matters that had come to the attention of Gardaí since the granting of similar exemptions in the past.

In evidence, premises owner Michael Hourigan pointed out there had been no objections from the State to recent applications to renew the venue’s liqueur and dance licences.

His solicitor, Charlie O’Connor, said he believed this particular objection had arisen following a Halloween function at the venue after an unexpected number of buses full of revellers turned up there.

Mr O’Connor put it to Mr Hourigan that many people on the buses, who were much younger than the normal profile of people who attend the nightclub, were already intoxicated when they arrived at the premises, and he was being blamed for this.

“You have always run this premises without difficulty and in this night many of those who arrived came from outside the area,” said Mr O’Connor.

However, Supt Duane said that on the night of the Halloween event, Gardaí were called to the premises and concern for public safety relating to the number of young, intoxicated people there prompted two Garda Sergeants to request Mr Hourigan close the premises early, which he agreed to do.

Asked by Judge Walsh what security arrangements had been in place on the night in question, Mr Hourigan said he had arranged for 23 people aged in their 30s and 40s to be in place. He said there had never been problems around Halloween or Christmas at the venue before.

However, Supt Duane said that Gardaí had been called to incidents at the premises some 213 times over the past 10 years. He said there did not seem to be adequate advanced planning in place for events, something that Mr Hourigan refuted.

Judge Walsh said that from what she could see, the objection to Friday’s exemption related to the manner in which the premises was being run and how, for a better word, it was policed, pointing out there was a history of events there to which Gardaí has been called.

Supt Duane said that the concern was that someone would be “seriously, seriously injured” at the premises due to intoxication and the number of assaults and alleged assaults that had taken place there, pointing out it was situated in a rural area where “policing is limited.”

In his closing argument Mr O’Connor said his client had a history of managing this, and other premises, well over a period of decades, and the objection was based on criticism relating to the particular Halloween incident.

“I would ask that you grant this exemption. One breach in 30 years should not, in effect, put an end to this premises,” said Mr O’Connor.

Supt Duane said Gardaí had concerns over policing at the area.

“There is no problem with this particular exemption. However, it would have a bearing on future applications, and I would have concerns about the running of this premises”.

Refusing the exemption, Judge Walsh expressed concerns over security arrangements in place at the venue.