Smoking ban rebels turn up the heat

WHAT began as a mini revolt was last night threatening towards widespread rebellion as publicans around the country opened their doors to smokers.

In an attempt to halt the insurgency, Justice Minister Michael McDowell warned he would not be lax in instructing local superintendents to object to the renewal of pub licences where owners had flouted the smoking ban.

In Cork, the Southern Health Board promised to "vigorously pursue any employers that are openly flouting the law." It confirmed four pubs were under investigation, two in the city and two in the county. They included Paddy the Farmers on the Old Blackrock Road; Ozzie's bar in Dillon's Cross; the Loft bar in Bantry and Connie Doolan's in Cobh.

Paddy the Farmers' owner Gareth Kendellen had up to 30 customers by 3pm yesterday - the previous day his pub had been empty mid-afternoon. Asked if he was in for the long haul, he replied: "one day at a time," but declared himself unwilling to lose his business after 25 years in the trade.

In Limerick, customers of Nevada Smiths on Bedford Row had been puffing freely on the premises since Wednesday night, but were forced to stub their butts last night after the pub was visited by a public health officer from the Mid Western Health Board.

Proprietors of Nevada Smiths, who had invited people to smoke on Wednesday night, were forced to make the embarrassing climbdown after being issued with the threat of being fined €3,000 or a High Court injunction against their licence.

In north Tipperary, an elderly man with poor hearing and a limp was allowed light up inside The Friar's Tavern. Barman Denis Maher said 83-year-old Paddy Dolan had been granted the dispensation because of his ill-health. However, after a visit from inspectors last night, Mr Maher said he would be "fully compliant" with the ban from now on.

In Drogheda, the owner of Redz bar spent thousands of euro removing his roof to comply with the law.

In Dublin, the Northern Area Health Board confirmed 10 pubs had received warning letters for breaches of the smoking ban.

In the south-east, 25 complaints have been lodged against pubs in the Carlow/Kilkenny area for flouting the smoking law, but environmental health officer Frank Menton said all had been dealt with on the spot, without the need for further action. The majority of complaints came through the Office for Tobacco Control, said Mr Menton.

In the midlands, up to five premises were under investigation.

The man who publicly began the revolution on Tuesday, yesterday succumbed. Ronan Lawless, owner of Galway pub Fibber Magees, backed down in the face of the Attorney General's ire. Fibbers, he said, would reintroduce a ban on smoking immediately. Yesterday, his pub remained closed. Whether his climbdown will dampen the fire in the bellies of smoking rebels remains to be seen.