After hours – 1925

Connacht Tribune 5th December, 1925 p5 (abridged)

There is more illegal trading going on in this village than in any other village in Ireland, said Supdt. English, Gort, at Kinvara District Court, when Mr –, a publican in a village between Kinvara and Clarenbridge, was prosecuted for a breach of the licensing code on Sunday. The district justice, after hearing the evidence, imposed a fine of 40s and endorsed the license.

The evidence was that on a recent Sunday the Guards who were on public house duty visited the place and found the front door and the bar opened, and a crowd of people in the yard. There was a man in the kitchen and Mr and Mrs — were in the shop. Mr — was behind the counter with a bottle of stout in one hand and a glass in the other, in the act of filling out the liquor. When the Guards approached the crowd ran away and it was his (superintendent’s) opinion that “scouts” were on the look out.
The Guards, he continued, had the greatest difficulty in supervising this illegal traffic in Sunday drinking and this man was convicted before in January last. Mr — told the Guards that the man in the kitchen was an invited guest and a friend of his. The Guards examined the premises and found traces of porter on the counter and fresh porter in glasses. At the time the Guards visited the place it was 12.25 p.m. – Guard McGuire and the local sergeant corroborated. When they went there they said the door was wide open, and when Mr — saw them entering he endeavoured to close up the bar by pulling down a latticed shutter between the shop and the bar, and when questioned he said the men were all bonafide travellers.
Magistrate (to defendant):
Have you anything to say?
Mr –;
The men were all bonafide.
Magistrate;
You could not have them there before one o’clock, even if they were. You should know the provisions of the new Act as a publican.
Defendant;
I have nothing to do with the yard attached.
Magistrate;
It is attached to and licensed as well as your premises and you are bound to see that nobody is there only those entitled to be there. You are bound to exercise strict supervision over the yard as well as the premises.
Mr –;
People come there and put their carts in my yard while they are at Mass.
Magistrate;
I know nothing about that. It might be a cloak to get drink illegally.
Superintendant;
There is more illegal trading going on here than in any village in Ireland and the Guards cannot exercise supervision owing to the “scouts”.
Magistrate;
I hope that this thing will be put down and that the Guards will keep a watchful eye on the place, and I will impose a fine of 40s and endorse the license and make a D.W.P. order against the man found on the premises.