Donegal Nightclubs ordered to shut early !?!

Citizen_Erased

If you are from anywhere round Donegal and enjoy the occasional night out I'm sure you'll be aware that certain nightclubs in Letterkenny and other towns have been ordered to shut their doors earlier that usual , at 1.30. This has been brought about by Gardai superintendants due to the level of antisocial behaviour involved in the average busy night. RTE ran a story on this today but unfortunately I missed it.

Whats people views on this ?

Personally I think this qualifies as lunacy for a number of reasons:

1> Changing the time wont change the volume of people involved

2> With later times like 2.30 people tend to leave in a more gradual fashion however with and earlier closing time everyone will want to stay til the very end so everyone will spill onto the streets en mass.

3> People will not want to go home at 1.30 , they are used to going home at 3 , they therefore will hang around on the streets for much much much longer posing a much larger threat for anti social behaviour.

4> There will be no shortage of inebriated people who will feel the need to wage their own personal "protest" at this closing time and hence create trouble.

5> My last point isnt so reliable but from my own experiences people who get severely drunk in a club have usually had a chance to sit down and mellow out and generally sober up by 2.30 , but with this new time they will be thrown to the street in their intoxicated state. I know that isnt a very credible argument but i thought i may add it anyway.

The only advantage I can see to this is that perhaps people will be detered from going out but I think the people who mainly cause the probkems are not the sort to be so easily put off a night out . Perhaps the only advantage is that Mr Joe Gardaman will be in his bed a little bit earlier

smashey

It won't stop the fighting on the streets as they will all congregate in the chip shops and start pushing each other around.

Senna

I think the nightclub owners objected and its been moved forward to 2am. This is still being objected to.

I'm not for this, as its being brought in to curb anti-social behavior, which i think it will have no effect on, but i would like if our drink culture changed to people going out earlier and going home earlier. (i'm not taking about students and 18-24yr olds)
I lived and worked in London for a few years and their social drinkers start at about 8pm, they have a good night and come home around midnight.
Its much better and you can have a few drinks on a work night and still have a full nights sleep. Over here pubs don't fill up till 10/11pm, so people going out early are in pubs with no atmosphere and so start going out later.

donegalman1

The time is doors and the clubs bars closing at 2am.

The whole argument of the Superintendent is fundamentally flawed.

Firstly, he uses the 1061 public order offences in letterkenny as his basis.

This does not breakdown into times, places days and covers every public order offence, they do not all happen at night or weekend or even on the main streets of the town.

Comparing to Sligo is unfair either and RTEs report tonight unjustly paints Letterkenny as dangerous. Sligo has different Policing policies perhaps and I have heard in the last year special Garda operations have taken place in Sligo to combat other problems, a higher visibility of Gardai are there. Obviously there are no figures of whether Letterkeny is adequately covered with Gardai either. Letterkenny gets a huge influx of people from other areas and it possible to assume some may feel less constricted out of their own towns or jurastriction.

Overall public order is down 20% nationally (CSO) and Tralee where they did this already last year is only down 12%

This in my opinion will lead to increased house parties in estates with no regulation on drink and order and could create a bigger problem. It will also effect the towns image and tourism, Entertainment is the main stay of the local economy now.

The Govt took out a criminality survey in 2003, one which showed 32% of public order happened between 11 and 1.30 when most people are in Clubs Pubs, the figure is smaller for after clubs. And even at this, half a million people socialise in Clubs etc every weekend. Ireland had 45,000 offences of Public order last year. If you even go by the Supers logic and they all happened at Clubs then over the year only0.02% of those effected committed offences.

Sledgehammer and nut seems appropriate here.

Nothing to stop people Drinking to excess up until 2am either and instead of pacing themselves, many now will be pre-occupied with getting as many as they can in faster.

I support the good work Gardai do on the frontline and think more resources are needed. But more of the nanny state is not what Ireland should be about.

A much better initiative is needed, but I suspect this is alot to do with manpower etc and an attempt to have this brought in nationally ahead of the findings of the acohol advisery commission, who may actually prefer on trade controlled drinking than the current free ability of cheap off sales.

Citizen_Erased

Senna wrote: »

I think the nightclub owners objected and its been moved forward to 2am. This is still being objected to.

A few nightclubs have appealed and been granted temporary extensions for some of the Easter break weekends , naturally the Supers involved are looking to have this overturned.

muffler

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

Personally I think this qualifies as lunacy for a number of reasons:

1> Changing the time wont change the volume of people involved

Agreed and regardless of the closing time there will still be the same number of people and the same number of idiots.

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

2> With later times like 2.30 people tend to leave in a more gradual fashion however with and earlier closing time everyone will want to stay til the very end so everyone will spill onto the streets en mass.

So you are telling us that the clubs are half empty by 2:30? Dont think so.

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

3> People will not want to go home at 1.30 , they are used to going home at 3 , they therefore will hang around on the streets for much much much longer posing a much larger threat for anti social behaviour.

It aint going to make any difference what time the clubs close at. There will still be the same crowd on the same streets but just at a different time. And like I said there will still be the same number of idiots whether it be 11:30 or 3:30 in the morning.

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

3> People will not want to go home at 1.30 , they are used to going home at 3 , they therefore will hang around on the streets for much much much longer posing a much larger threat for anti social behaviour.


4> There will be no shortage of inebriated people who will feel the need to wage their own personal "protest" at this closing time and hence create trouble.

There is no shortage of inebriated people at the weekends and I think its a bit silly to suggest that some yobs will "protest".

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

5> My last point isnt so reliable but from my own experiences people who get severely drunk in a club have usually had a chance to sit down and mellow out and generally sober up by 2.30 , but with this new time they will be thrown to the street in their intoxicated state. I know that isnt a very credible argument but i thought i may add it anyway.

Dont think that even merits a reply.

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

The only advantage I can see to this is that perhaps people will be detered from going out but I think the people who mainly cause the probkems are not the sort to be so easily put off a night out . Perhaps the only advantage is that Mr Joe Gardaman will be in his bed a little bit earlier

Dont fool yourself - people will still go out just that they will do it that wee bit earlier now. And as for stating that the changes were to suit the Gardai then thats pure folly. Come and live in Navenny Street in Ballybofey or indeed in other streets in other towns beside night clubs and see who will benefit from this or is intended to benefit from it.

The main thrust of the application to restrict the closing times is to hopefully reduce the level of anti social behaviour which would in turn lead to local residents having quieter nights.

ednwireland

does this mean the abbey will kick out at 4 instead of 5 ?
doesnt matter cos it wont be enforced anyway

Citizen_Erased

muffler wrote: »

So you are telling us that the clubs are half empty by 2:30? Dont think so.

I think we may have got our wires crossed here, the point I was making was that with normal opening times people generally may sift out from the club in a more staggered manner, I would go so far as to say maybe 20+% of the people have left by closing time . My concern is that with this new earlier closing time the mindset of a person going out will be that they must make the most of every moment available and as a result just about everyone will want to be in the club until the very moment they are forced to leave. This would create a larger bulk of people exiting the club at one time which naturally increases the chances of conflict.

It aint going to make any difference what time the clubs close at. There will still be the same crowd on the same streets but just at a different time. And like I said there will still be the same number of idiots whether it be 11:30 or 3:30 in the morning.

You have missed my point again here, I know that regardless of what time they are put to the streets at there will still be the same volume of people, that we have established. However the point I was making is that given the usual opening hours of a club people are not used to going home until after around 3 oclock. This means that a large quantity of people, troublemakers in particular will want to , if removed from the club a 1.30am, remain loitering on the streets of whatever given town for the next hour and a half or so. This increased time on the street therefore creates yet another potential for increased unrest.

There is no shortage of inebriated people at the weekends and I think its a bit silly to suggest that some yobs will "protest".

Once again I'm not sure if we are on the same wavelength. I regularly go out in Letterkenny , the two major nights of the week if my schedule permits. From my experience and I'm sure there is an inexhaustable queue of people who will back this point . The people who generate the problems are very rash and easily provoked, it only takes the slightest of controversy for scuffles or what not to occur. When these people are told to leave the club at an earlier time than usual they will not react kindly and I can say without a shadow of a doubt there will be no shortage of people with their inhibitions freed by the intake of alcohol who will want to stage their own one man protests to the system . Even worse if they begin to pool their efforts . Their is enough hostility towards the authority on an average night alone with out this added complication to stir things up even more.

Dont think that even merits a reply.

As I said it wasn't a reliable or credible point and it was intended to be border-lining humour, as was my remark regarding the Garda being back in his/her bed.

The arguments that I have posed are all simply from my observations , being an 18 year old who goes out most major nights of the week in one of the affected towns (and on one occasion victim of said behaviour) , I have not in anyway based any of this on factual statistics or records and I want that to be understood. These are opinions. They are also mainly based on the principal that people will not adjust very well / quickly to the new adjusted times.

The final point regarding local noise levels , this is barely a factor in Letterkenny main street , residential is very sparse in a large radius , the only people who lose out on their sleep are the guests of Gallaghers hotel , with nose levels from Milan nightclub , but since both premises are owned by one person, Hughie McGee, it is only his own patrons that he is disturbing:D (that was also a humorous point, don't take it seriously)

blue shimmering

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

I think we may have got our wires crossed here, the point I was making was that with normal opening times people generally may sift out from the club in a more staggered manner, I would go so far as to say maybe 20+% of the people have left by closing time . My concern is that with this new earlier closing time the mindset of a person going out will be that they must make the most of every moment available and as a result just about everyone will want to be in the club until the very moment they are forced to leave. This would create a larger bulk of people exiting the club at one time which naturally increases the chances of conflict.



You have missed my point again here, I know that regardless of what time they are put to the streets at there will still be the same volume of people, that we have established. However the point I was making is that given the usual opening hours of a club people are not used to going home until after around 3 oclock. This means that a large quantity of people, troublemakers in particular will want to , if removed from the club a 1.30am, remain loitering on the streets of whatever given town for the next hour and a half or so. This increased time on the street therefore creates yet another potential for increased unrest.



Once again I'm not sure if we are on the same wavelength. I regularly go out in Letterkenny , the two major nights of the week if my schedule permits. From my experience and I'm sure there is an inexhaustable queue of people who will back this point . The people who generate the problems are very rash and easily provoked, it only takes the slightest of controversy for scuffles or what not to occur. When these people are told to leave the club at an earlier time than usual they will not react kindly and I can say without a shadow of a doubt there will be no shortage of people with their inhibitions freed by the intake of alcohol who will want to stage their own one man protests to the system . Even worse if they begin to pool their efforts . Their is enough hostility towards the authority on an average night alone with out this added complication to stir things up even more.



As I said it wasn't a reliable or credible point and it was intended to be border-lining humour, as was my remark regarding the Garda being back in his/her bed.

The arguments that I have posed are all simply from my observations , being an 18 year old who goes out most major nights of the week in one of the affected towns (and on one occasion victim of said behaviour) , I have not in anyway based any of this on factual statistics or records and I want that to be understood. These are opinions. They are also mainly based on the principal that people will not adjust very well / quickly to the new adjusted times.

The final point regarding local noise levels , this is barely a factor in Letterkenny main street , residential is very sparse in a large radius , the only people who lose out on their sleep are the guests of Gallaghers hotel , with nose levels from Milan nightclub , but since both premises are owned by one person, Hughie McGee, it is only his own patrons that he is disturbing:D (that was also a humorous point, don't take it seriously)

I was out last weekend in Donegal Town and all was shut down at 1.30am with the gardai outside and inside these premises making sure that nothing was allowed to happen or drink to be served - the only exception was some of my family who were over from UK and could drink as residents in the Abbey for as long as they wanted!

I don't think closing down the night clubs early is a good idea, it will only make these young people have house parties.....drink round by the Old Abbey.....and it could be much more dangerous/tragic for them than being in a public place until 4-5 in the morning! Young people like to stay up late and when my parents were going out dances went on to 3am in the morning - there was no drink, it was only old men who were in pubs...so I think maybe the places could be open and some kind of restriction put on the drinking aspect of the night out! A night can be enjoyed without getting extremely drunk, actually it can be much better fun when you watch your drinking and just go out to socialise and enjoy meeting others!

It was so disappointing last weekend not to be able to stay in the Abbey - for a chat, a quiet drink etc....which was usually what we did but had to go out home leaving my visiting family in the Abbey residence bar, it is so not Donegal! There is very little trouble in Donegal Town for the number of young people on the diamond at 3 - 4am, yes sometime an odd scuffle but that was all, why is this law being brought in here where there is nothing else for young people to do only go into public bars and feel they have to drink until they drop!

Citizen_Erased

You have raised a very valid point there about simply restricting the distribution of alcohol , there is no reason why the bar in a club must stop serving at 1.30 but the club can remain open until the usual time . That was initially what I perceived the initiative to be when I first heard the rumours of it.

Sending people from the clubs will, as you said, put people into house parties which being in more residential areas will create far larger disturbances and noise pollution. And also the "goings on" at a house party are a lot more difficult to monitor.

The problem is not the opening hours but the culture of drinking in Ireland, this is nothing but a poor effort at offsetting the problem temporarily.

blue shimmering

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

You have raised a very valid point there about simply restricting the distribution of alcohol , there is no reason why the bar in a club must stop serving at 1.30 but the club can remain open until the usual time . That was initially what I perceived the initiative to be when I first heard the rumours of it.

Sending people from the clubs will, as you said, put people into house parties which being in more residential areas will create far larger disturbances and noise pollution.

The problem is not the opening hours but the culture of drinking in Ireland, this is nothing but a poor effort at offsetting the problem temporarily.

Yes I definitely agree that house parties are not a very good idea - this idea is maybe not very popular with young people but drink, drugs etc at these parties can cause situations to happen that wouldn't happen if they were in a normal nightclub setting! Young and not so young can fall out and before you know it knives.....can be brought out with tragic consequences.

I think a better idea would be to have the nightclubs open, with music and have the bar closed or only open for non-alcoholic consumption - not very easy to police I know but if it was thought out properly it would work! Irish young people have always wanted to socialise until the wee hours of the morning, this is our culture - the change now is that alcohol has become centre to this social scene, years ago it was music and dancing until the early hours of the morning often at the crossroads in towns and villages!

I am not suggesting that we go back to this but to a certain extent it could hold some ideas of having a good time without the need to drown the shamrock as much as has happened in the last 9 to 10 years!

jimmycrackcorm

I also think it is ridiculous to close early. It's moving back the problem an hour and at the same time it is penalising the vast majority of people out.

As other posters mentioned, people will go to house parties instead and drink more, some will then be tempted also to drive home hours later when there are no Garda check points.

blue shimmering

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I also think it is ridiculous to close early. It's moving back the problem an hour and at the same time it is penalising the vast majority of people out.

As other posters mentioned, people will go to house parties instead and drink more, some will then be tempted also to drive home hours later when there are no Garda check points.

Very true, but hopefully not to many, or better still none - we have to think of others using the roads and either drink or drive not both! This closing down of pubs is ridiculous and I do hope it is over turned, if not I don't know what all the young people are going to do with their time, and that includes a lot of them who don't over drink but do enjoy the crack while out!

mike76

letterkenny is an absolute disgrace- by far the worst place/violence i have ever witnessed and there seems to be a state of denial in existence.

This should only be the START, stopping drink promotions in supermarkets, more gardai on the street and sunday morning courts must come next.

the town has gone downhill so quickly its very sad as someone who grew up there it now has the same image as dundalk at the height of their difficulties.

been all over the world and all over ireland and letterkenny stands out for the level of violence, largely imho due to the influx of crazies from the north every weekend.

its time to tell hughie mcgee and all the other vested interests to take a hike, we want our town back

donegalman1

mike76 wrote: »

letterkenny is an absolute disgrace- by far the worst place/violence i have ever witnessed and there seems to be a state of denial in existence.

This should only be the START, stopping drink promotions in supermarkets, more gardai on the street and sunday morning courts must come next.

the town has gone downhill so quickly its very sad as someone who grew up there it now has the same image as dundalk at the height of their difficulties.

been all over the world and all over ireland and letterkenny stands out for the level of violence, largely imho due to the influx of crazies from the north every weekend.

its time to tell hughie mcgee and all the other vested interests to take a hike, we want our town back

Disagree entirely, Letterkenny is not near as bad as is made out and as many of the other posters have said, the potential is there for more problems. In addition to that the fact of the matter is that the Super indicated in at least two recent hearings that he did not have a problem with the venues or their owners.

Try telling the eight hundred staff employed directly in the hospitality industry to take a hike, not to mention those who benefit from their wages daily.

Ireland has a drink culture problem, like driving, many who come across the border do have a problem respecting the law here too. Most importantly, the gardai seem unable to cope due to lack of resources (just like the health service) and there is no point in having Sunday Courts when they cannot sentence people on a weekday... tell me what is the actual deterrent?

mike76

it is worse than is made out ......animals roaming the street....i have witnessed countless assaults including on friends who tried to stop a young girl being assaulted and on another occassion trying to help an individual whose head was being stamped on..neither of whom had any connection to us.....the jobs argument doesn't wash....if its a choice between more nightclub employment and more clockwork orange type violence then that's a very easy decision....it is the WORST place for violence i have ever visited in this country or in the other 25 countries i've been fortunate enough to visit and using arguments like we're not as bad as town x or its media hype is abject nonsense, do yourself a favour and take a trip to the garda office at 2am on a sat morning and see the reality for yourself, the worst of ireland is on display

Senna

mike76 wrote: »

it is worse than is made out ......animals roaming the street....i have witnessed countless assaults including on friends who tried to stop a young girl being assaulted and on another occassion trying to help an individual whose head was being stamped on..neither of whom had any connection to us.....the jobs argument doesn't wash....if its a choice between more nightclub employment and more clockwork orange type violence then that's a very easy decision....it is the WORST place for violence i have ever visited in this country or in the other 25 countries i've been fortunate enough to visit and using arguments like we're not as bad as town x or its media hype is abject nonsense, do yourself a favour and take a trip to the garda office at 2am on a sat morning and see the reality for yourself, the worst of ireland is on display

Ok, but will these new regulations have an effect on anything mentioned above?
I think a zero tolerance approach and an increased garda present could tackle the problem better, but NO instead they choose to tackle the problem in a roundabout, half-assed manner.

Citizen_Erased

I think perhaps you are expressing a slightly overbiased view, I was born and lived all of my 18 of my years bar the 4 most recent months in Letterkenny. While I will gladly agree that there appears to be an inexplicable craving for violence on the streets I still would not agree with a statement as extreme as yours, even when I have been directly subjected to said violence. It is unfortunately the actions of a few giving the rest a bad name as in most cases like this and granted Letterkenny does seem to have an erratically large number of these individuals, but I still believe that for every trouble maker there is 100, nay, 200 people that is simply looking to enjoy themselves. While I am not trying to in anyway deny the existence of what is a clear and pressing problem I still cannot agree with such radical statements and have had scores of enjoyable nights out in the town on the last 2 or so years of my life and am in every way proud of my roots in Letterkenny. It was not my intention in posting this thread to highlight the level of this crime but instead to discuss in this case the garda initiative against it.

smashey

mike76 wrote: »

it is the WORST place for violence i have ever visited in this country or in the other 25 countries i've been fortunate enough to visit

Would you be able to back that statement up? Those 25 countries must have been the Vatican and a few others like it.

I've travelled a fair bit as well and I have been in places a lot more violent than Letterkenny at the weekned.

muffler

smashey wrote: »

I've travelled a fair bit as well and I have been in places a lot more violent than Letterkenny at the weekned.

Yeah - Lifford & Strabane :rolleyes:

Citizen_Erased

muffler wrote: »

Yeah - Lifford & Strabane :rolleyes:

lol QFT

smashey

muffler wrote: »

Yeah - Lifford & Strabane :rolleyes:

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

lol QFT

Bastards.

muffler

smashey wrote: »

Bastards.

Sorry - couldn't resist it

blue shimmering

Senna wrote: »

Ok, but will these new regulations have an effect on anything mentioned above?
I think a zero tolerance approach and an increased garda present could tackle the problem better, but NO instead they choose to tackle the problem in a roundabout, half-assed manner.

We are all going off the point here, the question posed was Donegal nightclubs ordered to shut early! There was no warning about this or public meetings to discuss it, I went out the weekend of the 7th to 9th March and there was just a swoop down by the gardai actually very bullying tactics were used to clear out all nightclubs in Donegal Town, Dom's, Abbey Hotel - I would also guess the Central, and all the small pubs but don't 100% know about them because I wasn't in them!

Everyone was out on the street, it was a bad night, no taxi's were about and it was a very miserable end to a great night! I wasn't drinking so could drive home but heaven help others who were out in the cold, much more vulnerable to trouble starting, people not very happy and trying to get a way home! I think it was a disgrace to be honest, yes there is a small element who will cause trouble but why punish everyone? Actually it is much safer to be inside an establishment rather than out on the street where things can happen and do irrelevant to it being 4 or 5am or 1.30!

I think this is the most ridiculous rule that has ever been taken in and also us as the general public should have been consulted first! We could have ideas that would be better than the one the Gardai have adopted!

donegalman1

No one for a minute pretends there isn't a small number of trouble makers , less than 0.02% though of the total that go out.

There is a fundamental problem here in that an unelected personality can make his own mind up and interpret the law his way. A judge can then issue a blanket ban that the law does not allow for, a penalise everyone.

Mike talks about all this gratitious violence he sees regularly, does he report any of it, does he think theres much point. Should gardai not be arresting people rather than filming them.

Futher more, filming over a couple of nights and editing selectively, then saying its a typical Saturday Night is well......

Blue's point is more like how it all will end up, everyone on the street at the same time. Also anyone who knows Letterkenny will testify that very few of the pubs empty when they should so their customers often end up out at the same time as clubs. Has anyone ever for example seen MCGinleys, The cavern, Oasis, Orchard close on time. Well run establishments also but thats not the point.

I'm out every weekend in letterkenny, there are a few from time to time, there is a complete lack of policing all the time, but i am in a much better position to say what I see, and I do not Drink either.

blue shimmering

donegalman1 wrote: »

No one for a minute pretends there isn't a small number of trouble makers , less than 0.02% though of the total that go out.

There is a fundamental problem here in that an unelected personality can make his own mind up and interpret the law his way. A judge can then issue a blanket ban that the law does not allow for, a penalise everyone.

Mike talks about all this gratitious violence he sees regularly, does he report any of it, does he think theres much point. Should gardai not be arresting people rather than filming them.

Futher more, filming over a couple of nights and editing selectively, then saying its a typical Saturday Night is well......

Blue's point is more like how it all will end up, everyone on the street at the same time. Also anyone who knows Letterkenny will testify that very few of the pubs empty when they should so their customers often end up out at the same time as clubs. Has anyone ever for example seen MCGinleys, The cavern, Oasis, Orchard close on time. Well run establishments also but thats not the point.

I'm out every weekend in letterkenny, there are a few from time to time, there is a complete lack of policing all the time, but i am in a much better position to say what I see, and I do not Drink either.

I in Letterkenny during the day and haven't seen any violence there so it must all boil down to either having too much to drink or outsiders coming in and causing the trouble or obviously a combination of both! I would think it is a combination of both, is there rivalry between different towns because that seems to be the case in Donegal Town and it is not always restricted to young men either - the girls seem to be even more vicious than the fellas!

One point that I really want to make is that most young and older people go out to enjoy themselves and that is the way it should be - so why is everyone being punished? Different laws and regulations have been brought in to stop these young hooligans from reeking havoc on the ordinary every day person out to enjoy themselves - is this not working? I would have thought that punishing these with something would be a much better idea than punishing all of us! Can't remember what they called these things but could they not be barred from being out late, from being in particular towns - or preferrably every town and have a curfew on them to be in doors before a certain time!

Actually I think a public flogging in the centre of our towns might not do them much harm either but that wouldn't happen I know because we are supposed to be so civilised now aren't we?

deman

I think the idea of closing clubs earlier is ridiculous. As mentioned before, this will just create a flood of people leaving at the same time, a lot of which will be angry or frustrated at not being allowed to stay for longer. If anything, it would've been a better idea to allow clubs to stay open later. Here in Finland, clubs normally close at 4 o'clock. But by that time, maybe half the people have left already to get taxis/busses etc. or just too bloody knackered. And I've never seen a fight outside a club. I've seen fights alright in pubs (normally involving a mad Englishman called Dave).

Fights in Letterkenny, well the biggest fight I've ever seen (anywhere) was in the Grill Car Park around 1987/88. It was a confrontation between Letterkenny lads and Derry boys. The Gardai just stood back and watched as they were powerless. Dozens of cars were damaged with guys jumping up and down on the roofs and bonnets. But when I frequented Letterkenny clubs when I was at the age of doing so, I very seldom saw any fights. I don't know about today so I'll not comment any more.

This is all I've heard about in recent years....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJomfaV3U7U

blue shimmering

deman wrote: »

I think the idea of closing clubs earlier is ridiculous. As mentioned before, this will just create a flood of people leaving at the same time, a lot of which will be angry or frustrated at not being allowed to stay for longer. If anything, it would've been a better idea to allow clubs to stay open later. Here in Finland, clubs normally close at 4 o'clock. But by that time, maybe half the people have left already to get taxis/busses etc. or just too bloody knackered. And I've never seen a fight outside a club. I've seen fights alright in pubs (normally involving a mad Englishman called Dave).

Fights in Letterkenny, well the biggest fight I've ever seen (anywhere) was in the Grill Car Park around 1987/88. It was a confrontation between Letterkenny lads and Derry boys. The Gardai just stood back and watched as they were powerless. Dozens of cars were damaged with guys jumping up and down on the roofs and bonnets. But when I frequented Letterkenny clubs when I was at the age of doing so, I very seldom saw any fights. I don't know about today so I'll not comment any more.

This is all I've heard about in recent years....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJomfaV3U7U

If it was a one to one fist fight it wouldn't be so bad but now it is one against a group and they get them down on the ground and beat the crap...out of them. It is terrible to watch but still don't think closing down night clubs earlier will stop this, these people should be stopped from loitering on street corners waiting for victims to attack! They are the lowest of the low and are cowards all of them!

Another thing is getting involved in a fight between boyfriend/girlfriend because both can then turn on you - the situation is out of control but I think they are looking in the wrong direction for the answer to the situation. These people need to be punished very quickly and also need to realise it is not cool to do, people sitting back, laughing etc are just as bad as the one's doing it and should be punished very much to make them realise it is not worth destroying their whole life for - all down a lot of the time to too much to drink, and sense going out of the window!

Senna

donegalman1 wrote: »

There is a fundamental problem here in that an unelected personality can make his own mind up and interpret the law his way. A judge can then issue a blanket ban that the law does not allow for, a penalise everyone.

Very true, I understand a licensed premises can have its license amended by a judge, or he could even terminate a license if the business is found to be at fault for something, but i'd question the legality of this move.
I wonder if this was taken to the central courts or even the EU courts, could it/would it be overturned. (i'm sure, if its possible, the nightclub owners will already be looking at this route)


Anybody out on the town tonight or last night, did they notice any difference at 2am compared to the usual at 3am? was it suddenly a clam and tranquil experience with everyone saying hello as they passed you in the streets and young children playing with their mothers, without a care in the world?


Also
Charlie Bingo fighting, what has that to do with anything????

Citizen_Erased

Senna wrote: »

Anybody out on the town tonight or last night, did they notice any difference at 2am compared to the usual at 3am? was it suddenly a clam and tranquil experience with everyone saying hello as they passed you in the streets and young children playing with their mothers, without a care in the world?


Also
Charlie Bingo fighting, what has that to do with anything????

Was out last night in Letterkenny and I tell you it was like being in a dream ... I had this strange sensation that , well it's kinda difficult to explain , but I could have sworn it was 3 o'clock when my watch infact told me it was only 2. Naturally I was swift to blame the watch for a malfunction but then I realised that the reason was these whimsical schemes had caused no change at all.

(although I did see plenty of young children around like you mentioned ... the nightclubs keeping up their usual level of standard regarding IDing being the reason for that of course)

Charlie Bingo has something to do with everything:rolleyes:

blue shimmering

Citizen_Erased wrote: »

Was out last night in Letterkenny and I tell you it was like being in a dream ... I had this strange sensation that , well it's kinda difficult to explain , but I could have sworn it was 3 o'clock when my watch infact told me it was only 2. Naturally I was swift to blame the watch for a malfunction but then I realised that the reason was these whimsical schemes had caused no change at all.

(although I did see plenty of young children around like you mentioned ... the nightclubs keeping up their usual level of standard regarding IDing being the reason for that of course)

Charlie Bingo has something to do with everything:rolleyes:

Couldn't be bothered going out last night - would just be out when I would have to come home, still would have to pay the baby sitter....not worth it! Don't really see how closing everything down at 1.30 to 2.00 is going to make that much of a difference!

I go out to have the crack, chat and enjoy myself!