Cork puts 9pm curfew on outdoor drinkers

A CURFEW of 9pm has been imposed on people drinking at tables outside Cork city pubs because gardaí fear the street furniture involved could be used as weapons later in the night.

The development comes just months before Cork becomes European Capital of Culture.

Chief Superintendent Ray McAndrew said the move was in response to concerns about late-night public order, adding that the force was worried outdoor drinking areas could provide ready-made weapons for a drunken minority.

“We have a major emphasis on public order in the city and on achieving good results,” he said.

“We would have concerns about glasses, tables, chairs and ashtrays still being available on the streets late at night,” he said.

Following a request from the gardaí, Cork City Council inserted a 9pm deadline among the conditions of the special licences issued to publicans allowing them serve alcohol to customers at outdoor tables.

City centre publicans are now required to close outdoor tables and get customers off the streets and back in the bars by that time. Previously, the deadline had been 11.30pm.

But publicans said the new curfew could damage the city’s European, cafe-style atmosphere.

Kevin Donnelly, chairman of the Cork branch of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI), said while he appreciated the job gardaí had to do, pub street furniture added to the European feel and character of the city.

“Outdoor tables and chairs are an extension of a publican’s premises and you have to run an orderly house, whether that’s inside or outside,” he said.

“If outdoor tables are being supervised and the house runs in an orderly manner, and it doesn’t create a problem, then it should be encouraged.”

But local gardaí believe the curfew is an important element of their Public Order Policing Model, which received an excellence in public service award last month. The model, set up two years ago, partners the gardaí, vintners, nightclub owners, security staff, the judiciary, wholesalers, the health board, hospitals, Cork Chamber of Commerce, Cork Business Association and Cork City Challenge. It was established after serious public disorder problems in Cork in 2001, which led to the death of a young man. A second young man remains critically ill after being kicked into a comatose state.

New measures saw a sustained enforcement of the law and a speeding-up of prosecutions.

One measure included reaching agreement with nightclub owners to turn on the lights and play mellower music 20 minutes before the end of the night.

In the two years since the setting up of this model, serious assaults have fallen by a third and there has also been a fall in minor infringements.

“Our model is now being studied by other cities,” Supt McAndrew said.