Publicans ‘orchestrated revolt over drinking hours’

FLOUTING of opening hour restrictions during the 1961 Fleadh Ceoil was an orchestrated revolt by publicans, gardaí in the district believed.

The Whit Weekend festival in Swinford, Co Mayo, from May 20-22 resulted in 45 of the town’s 56 publicans being charged with a total of 125 breaches of the Intoxicating Liquor Act leading to local complaints that the entire town was on trial.

A report prepared for the Department of Justice by local superintendent S O’Muireadhaigh after the issue became a national cause célèbre stated that every pub had been visited on the morning of Saturday, May 20 to advise them that normal licensing laws applied despite the festival and the anticipated arrival of some 25,000 visitors. The superintendent complained of the publicans’ “utter disregard” for his warnings during the subsequent festivities and accused them of “irresponsible behaviour.”

“They admitted to their premises large numbers of persons, in some cases as many as 200, and were later unable to eject those persons who, in some instances, were found by the gardaí more or less in control of the premises instead of the licencee,” he wrote.

He described scenes of drunkeness, indifference by the licencees, abusive and defiant behaviour and said gardaí were repeatedly faced with publicans acting in a challenging manner as they endeavoured to restore normality.

“Indeed it is suspected they were prompted and supported in their action by outside interests, possibly the Licensed Vintners Association,” he said.

The publicans spent three years campaigning against their prosecutions and subsequent convictions. The issue was referred to the High Court where it was decided in 1964 a series of offences arising out of one incident would result in just one endorsement.