Limerick pubs ready to lodge appeal over Good Friday opening
PUBLICANS will next week lodge a last-gasp legal bid to open their doors to rugby fans on Good Friday after appeals to the Magners League, Setanta Sports and the provinces to have the Munster-Leinster match moved fell on deaf ears.
No Good Friday Agreement could be reached with the event organisers and up to 60 publicans who attended a meeting at the Strand Hotel on Monday agreed to push ahead with a court application.
Speaking from Boston, Mayor Kevin Kiely said a Saturday match had been ruled out by the Celtic League on "player welfare grounds" as it would leave only a six-day turnaround before Leinster's Heineken Cup quarter final against Clermont Auvergne.
Mayor Kiely said he had also been informed by the Celtic League that Holy Thursday "was not suitable to the Munster branch".
Tournaments director David Lordan wrote to the Mayor that "we are open to alternative arrangements if agreement can be reached between the provinces".
Chairman of the Limerick city vintners Jerry O'Dea conceded this week that the chances of this happening were now remote and the publicans have been left with the one option they did not wish to go with, making a bid in the District Court that would test Ireland's liquor laws on the opening of licensed premises on Good Friday, April 2.
Seven days notice was issued yesterday and the application will be made in Mr O'Dea's name for "an exemption for a special event" in the District Court next Tuesday, March 23.
The application, which is being handled by Gearoid McGann of Sweeney McGann Solicitors, will encompass around 100 pubs in the city seeking to open between the hours of 6pm and 12 midnight on Friday, April 2.
Speaking after giving notice to the court, Mr O'Dea said: "We have tried hard at our stated objective, which was to have the game moved but that doesn't look like changing at this stage".
Publicans have met with gardai in the city but the vintners have been given no indication on whether the state would object to any application for an exemption.
"We have had meetings with the gardai and we both have the utmost of respect for one another's position and where we are both coming from. They haven't voiced any strong objection to the idea but it is, of course, open for them to do so on the day," Mr O'Dea said.
Some religious leaders have voiced concern at the date of the fixture itself, with Fr Shawn O'Connor of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal intending to picket Thomond Park on the day of the match.
But Mr O'Dea said he did not expect any similar protests outside pubs.
"I think the churchmen in Limerick who have commented on the matter have been very reasonable and appear to understand where we are coming from in terms of this being a special occasion for Limerick," Mr O'Dea said.
Munster against Leinster is also the biggest fixture on the domestic rugby calendar with Limerick Chamber estimating the match could be worth anything up to j10 million to the local economy.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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