Club allowed to open Christmas night
CHRISTMAS night is a time for the warm embrace of family, ribbing over a game of Monopoly or dozing in front of the TV after a day of indulgence. Not so for a rally driving club owner in Donegal. Limelight nightclub owner Declan Boyle has been granted the only drinks licence in the northwest for Christmas night.
He told Letterkenny Circuit Court that this was always a traditional night for socialising and pubs had suffered in the recession.
He said: ‘That is the tradition. The Limelight always got the crowd. We need to try and get it back.’
But local resident Donal McLoone said he and other neighbours would be unable to sleep if a licence was granted due to crowds of revellers in the area until 5am.
The club in Glenties was refused permission at the district court to open at a minute past midnight on December 26 after gardaí claimed the venue would become a magnet for drunken party-goers. Supt Colin Nevin said his officers would come under severe pressure from ‘boy racers’ as well as people urinating in the street. However, Judge John Aylmer has granted the exemption for the licence which will allow up to 1,600 socialisers to party from 12.01am until 2.30am.
Judge Aylmer said he had every sympathy for residents and gardaí but granted the exemption on condition the event was not to be advertised and 16 security staff are employed, three of whom will guard three houses beside the club.