A hotelier on Inis Meain was fined €900 at Aran District Court yesterday for holding dances in her hotel, Ostain Inis Meain, twice last summer without having a public dance licence.
Bernadette Flaherty pleaded guilty to the offences and also to serving intoxicating liquor on her premises on one of the dates in question.
Supt Mick Curley told the court that on August 1st, 2005, a member of the public made a complaint to gardaí after he was told he would have to pay €5 to enter the hotel as there was a disco in progress which went on until 1.30am. Ms Flaherty did not have a public dance licence.
He said a week later, on August 7th, residents staying at Ostain Inis Meain made a complaint to gardaí that loud music was being played on the premises in the early hours of the morning.
The residents went downstairs and found a crowd of up to 50 people on the premises, who were attending a 21st birthday party.
The residents observed two people behind the bar serving drink to customers at 2.40am. Again the licensee did not have a dance licence to host such a function.
Adrian MacLynn, defending, said his client had been obliging regular customers who wished to hold the 21st birthday party at her hotel. His client had operated the hotel for the last seven years without incident, and these two functions had been held out of duty to her regular customers.
He admitted that his client had not sought to regularise matters in the interim by applying for a public dance licence.
Judge Mary Fahy said Ms Flaherty was treating the situation with a degree of casualness which was not to her liking. She warned her that as the holder of an intoxicating liquor licence she had certain obligations. "You do not seem to be taking those obligations very seriously and I'm not impressed by your attitude.
"If you do not take those obligations seriously I will be asking the gardaí to take a certain course."
Judge Fahy warned Ms Flaherty she was not to hold another function until she had applied for a public dance licence.
She fined Ms Flaherty €300 for the after-hours charge, and a further €300 on each of the charges relating to holding a dance without a licence.
In a separate development, county council solicitor Imelda Tierney told the court that the council was seeking arrears of commercial rates payments from Ms Flaherty, amounting to €15,394, going back to 2002.
Judge Fahy adjourned the matter for hearing to Spiddal District Court on October 13th.