Fans sue hotel over GAA final.

ottostreet

Was in the Star today..

"A Five star hotel is being sued over claims it refused to show last months All Ireland Gaelic Football Final.
Lawyers have served notice on the Hilton Hotel in Belfast that damages are being sought following allegations that staff told customers the Tyrone vs. Kerry match would not be screened.
The action ahs been brought by two men who say it was an affront to their dignity and national identity.
One, Brian Corey (51), claimed he was informed by staff on the day of the final, which Tyrone won, that it was the hotel's policy not to show GAA matches.
"I was mortified. I just thought this was a terrible injustice and so embarrassing to be treated like this" said Mr. Corey. "My sense of nationalism was offended".
The Hilton said the GAA final could not be shown because a Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United-which the hotel had linked to a food and drinks company- was already being screened. It is understood Mr Corey, from the Lower Ormeau area of South Belfast, has also brought the allegations to the attention of the GAA's Ulster Council and to the sport's governing authorities at Croke Park in Dublin.
Mr. Corey's solicitor, Seamus Leonard, said: "I have formally written to the Belfast Hilton and I have been in touch with the legal department of the Hilton Group in London".
But a spokesman for the hotel denied all the allegations and said "A request was received at the Belfast Hilton to switch the TV channel from the Premiership match to the All-Ireland Gaelic Final.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to accomodate this request. This had been well-advertised during the previous months and on the day" he added.


WHAT the hell is this bollocks? "national identity" "the sport's governing authorities" its a match. think Ireland may be starting to follow America's "sue for everything" mentality?

Sangre

This won't get past a hearing so no need to worry about it. You can sue for anything you want, doesn't mean the courts will let you go to full trial.

Sully

What a waste of time and money.

Creamy Goodness

well tbh what do you expect from Kerry and Tyrone fans?

ninty9er

I reckon it could go to court, and the prosecution would win. However the ruling against the Hilton would probably just be to show the matches in the future when requested rather than any financial gain for the GAA or its fans.

mikemac

Someone is looking for compo.............and will probably have costs awarded against them

Should think twice before launching cases like this

Actually what exactly do they want? Money? An apology? A commitment to show GAA matches in future?

walrusgumble

complete tool. the hotel should be allowed to screen what they want when they want. did that hotel ever televised gaa games before? if not why start? did he not know that? did the hotel even advertise outside etc that they would televise the game?


one of the last posters are right, judge will laugh it out of court. sure why didn't he go down the road or to his local and watch it there? his lawyers be desperate for dosh... imagine if this went to the european human rights courts lol.

still in fairness, there was bount to be a small tv knocking about, they could have put it on, even if was volume down

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

It's bloody attention seeking, that's all it is. I wonder how many similar bars and hotels could have been in the same boat?

walrusgumble

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

It's bloody attention seeking, that's all it is. I wonder how many similar bars and hotels could have been in the same boat?

i wonder is there some sort of trend going on, i am hearing strange going on's similiar to this case about people suing hotels/cafe etc over planned parties etc that were cancelled long by the owners for various reasons (strange reasons, not your normal breach of contract stuff) i think there was a court case in kilkenny/carlow recently, and they won.

either that or whoever told me was talking nonsense. of well

Sangre

walrusgumble wrote: »

his lawyers be desperate for dosh... imagine if this went to the european human rights courts lol.

or maybe he did what he was supposed to do. Strongly advised his client against it but proceeded anyway on his clients wishes. Its not his job to say he will bring the case or not.

mikemac

@walrusgumble
The court cases you hear of are when travellers book a function room and the hotel accepts the booking.
Then they cancel it and make an excuse like renovation or double-booking.

Not saying it's right or wrong but it goes on. If you ever try to book a function room in a hotel they usually call you in for a chat with the manager. This is for your benefit but also they can suss you out.

But that doesn't apply here, it's a ridiculous case and the only good thing is the judge will get a good laugh out it.

Mossy Monk

I hope Mr Corey and his friend have the book thrown at them and they are charged all costs for wasting everyones time.

walrusgumble

Sangre wrote: »

or maybe he did what he was supposed to do. Strongly advised his client against it but proceeded anyway on his clients wishes. Its not his job to say he will bring the case or not.

ye good point. i am a little surprised that the consultation went as far as twenty minutes though, could he have tried to suggest going to another solicitor? (yes i know that not how it works, or they would never get any other cases)but meh

String

Oh god they need to get a life. Im glad a hotel would show football over GAA and has some balls. If I owned a hotel I would show championship matches over all ireland finals.

Adamcp898

The man must enjoy having to pay other people's legal expenses because if this does get that far then he'll have to. Bloody time waster.

Guy:Incognito

ninty9er wrote: »

I reckon it could go to court, and the prosecution would win. However the ruling against the Hilton would probably just be to show the matches in the future when requested rather than any financial gain for the GAA or its fans.

I'm looking for the obvious sign of humour in there but cant find it. WTF? why should they have to show anything that they don't want to ?

Those two fools should be told to get lost and stop making a disgrace of themselves. They should definitely have to pay any costs incurred by the hotel.

m@cc@

ottostreet wrote: »

My sense of nationalism was offended

Fecking twits like that give the rest of us a bad name. The only sense of nationalism created by the GAA in Northern Ireland is a negative one. Idiots!

Firetrap

I've friends from Kerry who were in Kilkenny and went into a pub a few months ago to watch Kerry playing. As soon as the football started, they changed over to a foreign game in the pub. No football is allowed in the Marble City.

spurious

It's the North.

Branoic

Did his hotel room not have a telly? F*cking twat.

old boy

how many tvs did the hotel have, the customer is not always wrong

m@cc@

Branoic wrote: »

Did his hotel room not have a telly? F*cking twat.

Well he's from the Lower Ormeau which isn't far away from the Hilton. I don't know why he didn't watch it in his house if he was that stuck.

oneweb

Right, I'm going to persue my case against that bar I was at refusing to show the Eurovision.

Rented Mule

15 years ago, they would have just blown up the hotel and this would have all been over with. No need for lawyers.

None ever said that progress was always a good thing.

<<please note the heavy sarcasm?>>

Epic Tissue

lol typical GAA fools

If he gets money out of this, I'm gonna sue someone for.. i dunno.. driving a black car at 4pm in the day. It offends me!

bootlace

ottostreet wrote: »

think Ireland may be starting to follow America's "sue for everything" mentality?

We've nothing to do with Ireland,so no.

mikemac

bootlace wrote: »

We've nothing to do with Ireland,so no.

Explain please?

Are you making a point that it happened in Belfast so part of the UK? I think that is what you're getting at

Sangre

Obviously, this won't be actually tried in any Irish courts. This case will be heard in a British court under British law. Not ones to favour frivolous suits.

Guy:Incognito

old boy wrote: »

how many tvs did the hotel have, the customer is not always wrong

They are when the hotel dont want to show it.

Jay D

I haven't read anyone's opinion in this thread but I believe whoever is suing is well within their rights.

As a Man U fan, I still realise that the potential of such a match as was the one between Tyrone and Kerry, out multiplied by 10 that of the poncey soccer match ffs. Why should this man not be compensated? Fair play!