Glenroe actor Michael Collins yesterday dropped a challenge to the licence of a pub where he had been refused service after the new owner undertook to serve Travellers and all others once they behaved themselves.
Mr Collins had objected to the renewal of the licence for Bo Derrols in Smithfield, Dublin, after he was told last July by staff at the pub that they did not serve Travellers.
The new owner, Mr Derek Casey, told Judge Timothy Lucey that he already had Travellers drinking in the pub. "I have no problem with Travellers or anybody else as long as everybody is well behaved".
Mr Collins, who plays a Traveller in Glenroe, thanked Mr Casey. "I wish him the best of luck but I felt we needed to make a stand because of the way Travellers generally are treated."
At the first hearing last month, the court heard Mr Collins, his brother and a friend, Mr Paddy McDonagh, had dropped into the pub on their way home from making funeral arrangements for his brother's child. They wanted to go to a pub with a snooker table so that they could take his brother's mind off the tragedy.
They were twice told: "We don't serve members of the Travelling community". When Mr Collins asked for an explanation, they were told the pub had had trouble with Travellers before.
The group refused to leave until gardai arrived and the reason was again given in the presence of a uniformed officer. They left when told by a garda the publican was within his rights to do so.
They felt very insecure and upset about the incident and it took them some time to regain their confidence about going into a bar to ask for a drink.
Judge Lucey said had there not been an undertaking from the new owners of the pub to serve the Travelling community, he would have refused the licence.