Publican and former hurler of the year Lar Corbett has been fined €250 after admitting allowing people to be on his licensed premises almost an hour after closing time.
Mr Corbett, who won All-Ireland senior hurling titles with Tipperary in 2001 and 2010, pleaded guilty to one count of a breach of the licensing laws when he appeared before Nenagh district court on Friday.
Sergeant Michael Keating told the court gardaí inspected Coppinger’s bar on Parnell Street in Thurles at 1.25am on July 17th, 2016 and found about 20 people on the premises. Mr Corbett is the licensee at Coppinger’s.
“They were all drinking from glasses,” Sgt Keating said. Closing time on that night was 12.30am.
There was one previous conviction for a similar offence, dating back to 2015, when Mr Corbett was fined €200.
Solicitor Brian Hughes, for the publican, said the night had been a Saturday, “the busiest night of the week”, when it is “always difficult” to get customers out.
It was “literally minutes after clearing-out time,” Mr Hughes said, and there were a number of people on the premises. “Not too many, as it happens. His previous record is good, despite a minor blemish.”
Judge Elizabeth MacGrath fined Mr Corbett €250, giving him six months to pay.
Mr Corbett played for Tipperary from 2000 until his retirement from inter-county hurling in 2015. As well as winning two All-Irelands, three All-Star awards and the hurler of the year title in 2010, he is the county’s all-time leading goalscorer in the championship.
He still plays for his club, Thurles Sarsfields, recently winning his eighth senior county title before losing out to Ballygunner last Sunday in the Munster club championship.