Former Kerry football star player and manager Páidí Ó Sé was cleared of four charges yesterday in connection with the running of his pub in Ventry.
Mr Ó Sé, who is also a Fáilte Ireland director, faced five charges in connection with his pub in Ard a Bothair, Ceann Trá, on June 21st- 22nd last year. They included allowing children on the premises, having no public dancing licence and permitting disorderly conduct.
A lengthy hearing at Dingle District Court heard yesterday that a number of melees and fights had broken out, punches were thrown and drink was spilled. One man was assaulted with a bottle and at least four people sustained injuries, some serious.
Mr Ó Sé denied the charges but said he was extremely embarrassed at what had taken place. He apologised to the two "Dublin lads" who had been injured and who were in court yesterday.
His was a family-run country pub and he did not employ security. In 21 years as a publican he had never experienced anything like the fights that broke out in his premises that night, but it was all over in "a minute or two minutes". He acted immediately to break up the scuffles.
It was a very busy night with trainee-teacher and other language students in the pub and there was "a ratio of nine women to one man", Mr Ó Sé claimed. He never had a dance as such in the bar or a cover charge and he did not like amplification. This was why the young people went into the function room adjacent to the bar to hear disco music.
He would have told the "children" (including two youths aged 15 or 16) to leave had he seen them. They had come in a side door, evidence was given.
Three local young men were before the court on assault and/ or public disorder charges relating to the incidents.
Judge James O'Connor asked Supt Pat Sullivan why the State brought the charge of permitting disorderly conduct on a licensed premises against Mr Ó Sé when the only real onus on him was to do what was reasonable and he had done that. There was no previous trouble in the premises.
Supt O'Sullivan said there were a number of rows on the night, while charges in connection with a fourth fight were not before the court because the main witness, although summonsed, did not turn up. However he agreed to withdraw the charge.
On the charges faced by Mr Ó Sé of having children in licensed premises, Judge O'Connor said they were not served drink, which would have been a lot more serious. "This is a country pub in a country area, not the centre of Brussels (where there would be something to do for teenagers)." He dismissed the charges.
He adjourned the charge of not having a dance hall licence to late November, saying he did not know how much dancing was going on. "Always we are not in the middle of Brussels or Paris etc."
The judge said he had no doubt there were people who knew the identity of the person who "bottled" Patrick Romeril, Mount Merrion, Dublin, in the face, resulting in him receiving stitches.
Mr Romeril's friend, Aidan Goode, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, a student who was working as a barman in Dingle that summer, told of entering Mr Ó Sé's pub and of being grabbed by the neck by Daniel Ryan, a Dingle footballer.
Judge O'Connor said Ryan had undoubtedly assaulted Mr Goode, but Mr Goode and his friend had undoubtedly come in and thrown their weight around. He told Ryan, a student in Cork, to talk to his friends who were involved and to come up with compensation of €1,000 for Mr Goode. He would be given the benefit of the Probation Act.
Conor Brosnan, Ballinvounig, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. The court heard he had no previous convictions, but was involved in a fight. Judge O'Connor gave him the benefit of the Probation Act providing he paid €350 into the poor box.