Licence of Dromore West pub has now been regularised

THE Still Bar in Dromore West has a new licensee.

Sligo District Court was told that the pub was now being operated by Kirsty Murphy who had signed a two year lease on the premises. There was no Garda objection.

At the previous week’s court, owner of the pub, Michael Clarke had the licence brought back into his own name following an ad interim transfer. He had leased the pub to his son, Paul in 2013.

On Thursday last, Paul Clarke of Lismacbryan, Beltra was fined € 200 for having the pub open for the sale of alcohol at 1.50am on November 22nd 2015 when closing time should have been 12.30am.

Mr Stanley Harte, solicitor ( defending) pleaded that there had been a lot of difficulty with the licence in the recent past and but matters had now been regularised.

On the night of the Garda inspection, a Ms Aoife Keane was in charge but she had never signed a lease. Paul Clarke had nothing to do with the running of the premises on the night.

Judge Kevin Kilrane said the premises had been let without an interim transfer of the licence into Ms Keane’s name. She was in possession of the premises and was trading and it was “a bit of a mess.” “It has been sorted out now,” said Mr Harte. The Judge fined Paul Clarke € 200. Judge Kilrane enquired from Inspector Donal Sweeney as to why the defendant hadn’t been summoned under count six which was an offence for allowing people on a premises after hours and was the normal summons which was pleaded to.

Inspector Sweeney said he had no idea why this was.

Judge Kilrane said the other counts relating to breaches of the licensing laws were quite difficult to prove.