Taxis busy on a wet Lá le Pádraig

A WET St Patrick’s Day put extra pressure on the taxi firms in Cahersiveen this year proving little comfort for one local publican who was taken to court for an after-hours charge.

At Thursday’s Cahersiveen District Court, Eoghan O’Riordan of The Anchor Bar, was charged with the offence on March 18 last.

The court heard that gardaí spotted a woman holding a drink opening the door of the premises at 1.55am and upon investigation found 12 people on the premises consuming alcohol. Closing time was 12.30am with half-an-hour drinking up time.

Solicitor John O’Dwyer said it was Lá le Pádraig and there were parades earlier in town and much celebration. With heavy rain earlier that evening a lot of people had trouble getting a taxi, the solicitor continued, adding that no drinks were served after hours. Judge James O’Connor quipped that the woman with the drink didn’t seem to have a problem.

Mr O’Dwyer said that one person in the house said something to gardaí which may have resulted in gardaí proceeding with their investigations. “That peson has been barred from the public house since,” the solicitor added, drawing laughter from the courtroom.

The publican was fined €150 for allowing persons on his premises after hours.