Late bar

Westport gets another late bar – temporarily

Neill O’Neill


RECENT problems with the lack of late night venues in Westport received a temporary solution last week when Thomas Burke, lessee of Walsh’s bar on Mill Street, was granted a temporary dance licence at Castlebar District Court.
This is the first in a series of steps which, if successful, will allow Mr Burke to remain open until 2am one night a week. The licence granted by Judge Conal Gibbons is an interim measure and is valid until the annual licensing court sits in September. At this time Mr Burke will have to reapply to retain his dance licence and was told that the intervening period is his chance to prove himself.
Speaking to The Mayo News following last week’s court sitting, Mr Burke outlined how he intends to meet the needs of punters as well as those who have reservations about such a move.
“We will be open late one night a week and I do feel there is a need for another late bar as even outside of the tourist season, on busy weekends, the venues in town cannot allow the sheer volumes of people who wish to go for a drink after general closing time to enter.
“We will be putting a big effort into making this work and I intend to take the concerns of the residents and Gardaí on board to ensure this is what happens.”
In his application to the court Mr Burke, represented by Seamus Hughes, said that he had been encouraged by tourism and business bodies in Westport to apply for a late licence as it is commonly accepted that such venues are lacking in the town. After 12.30am people in Westport either walk the streets, go home or travel in taxis to Castlebar, which has several late bars, the court was told. Mr Burke pledged to increase his security numbers from two to four and said the DJ would continue to cease playing at 12.30.
In relation to noise from the pub, Mr Walsh said he had fitted a limiter on his sound system, which an engineer had set to a level under tests, that could not be heard in a nearby resident’s bedroom. A recent certificate from the fire inspector was presented to the court which deemed the pub fit for a dance licence, allowing a maximum of 145 patrons at any one time.
Gardaí and the Mill Street Residents Association both opposed the application but the judge deemed that Mr Burke had addressed all their concerns.
Judge Gibbons said that he was not well acquainted with Westport but was aware that it was one of the ‘jewels in the tourism crown of Ireland’. He said it was a great tribute to the town that it had an extraordinarily good reputation but it was clear that people needed another place ‘to swing a leg at night time.’
Superintendent Pat Doyle said that extending drinking hours would lead to more public order offences, but the judge responded that public order was caused by people and not alcohol, and was part of the human condition. He said public order offences happen only where people are present, quipping that not many public order offences occur in graveyards.