New License Law in Kilkenny

BeatNikDub

Pubs will have to close earlier than usual during next month's comedy festival amid concern that the city is out of control during bank holiday weekends.

Gardaí are concerned about the number of brawls at festival weekends; one man is still on a life support system following violence during this month's bank holiday while another visitor to the city was seriously injured when he was attacked with a glass.

Gardaí are so concerned about the problem that they applied to Kilkenny District Court yesterday (Tuesday) to end the 12-year tradition of allowing pubs to serve drink until 2am during the comedy festival. Publicans will now have to close up at 1.30am unless they decide to lodge an appeal.
"Public order problems at weekends are ongoing and recently there have been a number of serious incidents," the court was told by Superintendent Pat Mangan, who is Kilkenny's highest ranking police officer. "Our resources have to be increased every weekend because of the increase in the number of these incidents."

Mr Tom Walsh, who was representing Kilkenny Vintners Association, pointed out that the Cat Laughs festival attracted a huge number of tourists to the city and that there was normally no diffficulty with festival revellers. Judge William Harnett remarked that the tourist industry operated 52 weeks a year. "There will always be people who are not interested in the festivals but who will just come into town and drink themselves stupid," he said.

No history

Mr Walsh argued that the festival was the only one of its kind in Ireland. "The festival does not create trouble. This is a long-standing festival which is internationally renowned. It attracts a very different type of clientele to that which often frequents the city at weekends," he said.

However Supt Mangan was steadfast in his objection. "Last weekend a young lad from Mitchelstown, Co Cork was attacked on the street coming out of a disco and has serious head injuries. He could easily have lost his life," he said. The man who is in his 20s remains in a critical condition on a life support machine in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. In a separate assault over the May bank holiday weekend a man was badly injured when he was glassed in a city centre premises. Gardaí are investigating both incidents.
Judge Harnett told the court that there was a high possibility of a "lunatic fringe" that will go to the festival and agreed that the closing times should be extended only to 1.30am. There are about 60 publicans who are members of Kilkenny Vintners Association. They are considering appealing the decision to a higher court.

Does anyone else feel this will achieve nothing?
This is going to be permanent thing apparently.

Cutting the closing times of bars will do nothing to stop violent crime.
We need more Gardaí, more people actually being punished for their crimes. Everyone shouldnt suffer for the wring doings of the same people in the same places.

Clubs and bars and tourism is going to suffer here.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Kilkennyclosingtimes/

hi5

Half an hour won't make much difference,they'll be just as tanked up at 1.30 as 2.00.
Truth is Kilkennys' economy is based around selling drink,enforcement of laws need to be upped to reflect this.

BeatNikDub

30 signatures so far!

Nightwish

I don't really care either way. It just means that the fighting on the parade and queues in Supermacs will start half an hour earlier than usual.

BeatNikDub

I care greatly.
Especially for club nights and gigs, less time to enjoy music.
This city is going to suffer greatly.
I am so disappointed.

Lump

BeatNikDub wrote:

I care greatly.
Especially for club nights and gigs, less time to enjoy music.
This city is going to suffer greatly.
I am so disappointed.

It's only pubs...... for the bank holiday weekend....... So the pubs just aren't gaining as much extra time as they normally do.

John


(Unless I'm missing something)

ergonomics

I have heard, although it is probably a rumour, that this is only being done to put off people coming to the Cat Laughs. Basically they want to stop outsiders coming here and starting fights and effing off back to wherever the came from, leaving Kilkenny with a violent name. If this is true it's the height of stupidity. If you don't want people coming here to the festival, then don't have the bloody festival in the first place!!

Last weekend the pubs closed at 1.30am and by 3 am the crowd outside was just as big and rowdy as it was when the pubs close at 2.30. People won't just go home at 1.30 and whoever thought they would is an idiot. The paper says gardaí are worried about a number of fights but tbh, the only fights I ever see are on Ormonde Street and John Street. The pubs that 'produce' the most violence or areas that produce the most violence should be forced to close earlier while the pubs/areas that very very rarely have fights (coughparliamentstreetcough) shouldn't have to close. Also, why can't pubs that have music, like Widows, Cleeres or the Zoo, be allowed to stay open late but forced to stop serving at 1.30? Come 1.30 I've normally stopped drinking anyway but I love staying out for a dance!

BeatNikDub

As far as I have heard this is going to be permanent.
Its already in force and the cat laughs isnt till the weekend after next!

Agreed ergonomics!!!

Firetrap

Hear hear, Ergononomics.

BeatNikDub

Confirmed. This isnt just for the cat laughs weekend.

Balmed Out

are clubs finishing early too?

BeatNikDub

Yep - its for all clubs and pubs.

:mad:

zootroid

will just have to make sure I go out an hour earlier then!!

Cabaal

BeatNikDub wrote:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Kilkennyclosingtimes/

Sign here if you are just as frustated as me with the new 1.30am closing times for all clubs and late pubs in Kilkenny.
It will achieve NOTHING.

Just like the pointless petition will achieve nothing, if you want something changed actually go out into the real world and let this be known on the streets etc

At the end of the day far to many people in Ireland have drink problems (can't handle it) and there's too much of a drinking culture in this country

BeatNikDub

I have actually and colleagues that work with me in the meejah.
We are doing something!! (or trying to anyway)

Its not the half hour less of drinking i have a problem with its the closing these places so early. Its going to ruin the scene. Less time for bands and dj's, festival acts etc etc.

Kilkenny relies hugely on tourism aswell, we shouldnt all be punished for the acts of a few.

But cheers for the support!

ergonomics

BeatNikDub wrote:

we shouldnt all be punished for the acts of a few.

I couldn't agree more! I've heard and read a lot lately about how this is being done to stop hen and stag nights coming here because they're aren't 'real' tourists. Why then is everyone in Kilkenny being punished because of just these hen and stag nights? Why aren't hoteliers and B&B's being told not to take hen and stag nights anymore? Wouldn't this make more sense? I used to work in a B&B and we never, under any circumstances, took large groups (over say, 5/6 persons). Yet we were never not fully booked on a weekend, even in the Winter, so hotels and B&B's can't really argue that it'll damage their business. I know hen and stag nights would still get around this ban by ringing up seperately instead of booking in a whole group but it's worth a try is it not?

lostexpectation

BeatNikDub wrote:

I have actually and colleagues that work with me in the meejah.
We are doing something!! (or trying to anyway)

Its not the half hour less of drinking i have a problem with its the closing these places so early. Its going to ruin the scene. Less time for bands and dj's, festival acts etc etc.

Kilkenny relies hugely on tourism aswell, we shouldnt all be punished for the acts of a few.

But cheers for the support!

you need to do a survey of tourist opinions on opening times, ask a range of old to young tourist what time they expect pubs to open till when on holidays.

you need to leverage the tourist issue and the young discerning couples city break tourists.

Firetrap

Like it or not, Kilkenny is the destination of choice for stags, hens and people out for a weekend's drinkin' and carousin' :rolleyes: There's nothing the powers that be can do to stop it, no matter how much they bleat on about it being an upmarket destination etc etc.

Plug

I couldn't be arsed reading all this so is it permenent or not, if not how long will it last?

Plug

I noticed morrisons stayed open after 1.30 for about 15 minutes extra last night.

lostexpectation

this was an rte news this evening and guess what the mayor is suggesting staggered closing times? but not later staggered earlier staggered!!!

what is she on? I ask you?



people like giveusthenight should actually propose this as trial town for late openings!

brettmirl

There was something on Today FM yesterday evening about her calling on the chippers being forced to close earlier. I only caught the tail end of it on "The Last Word", but Martin Brett and one of the Crottys were on about it.

zootroid

Six months on, has this new licensing law made any difference? I don't go out too often in kilkenny, and haven't stepped foot inside a club since this law came in (whats the point paying in when you can drink til 1 in a pub?)

More importantly, does it look like it'll be changed back any time soon?

The majority of late bars / clubs I go to in Dublin serve til 3, which makes the half one closing time seem even more ridiculous

BeatNikDub

Well I certainly dont go out as much as I used to in Kilkenny.

1.30 closing time is ridiculous and ruined many a night.

Nightlife in Kilkenny is just going downhill, I find myself going back to Dublin more and more.

Lump

Have club owners not complained - Surely they're losing out big time?!

EKRIUQ

BeatNikDub wrote: »

Nightlife in Kilkenny is just going downhill, I find myself going back to Dublin more and more.

Looks like a new club were widows is will be getting things UP;)