Pub owner may be forced by law to remove 40-foot banner barring Queen
Dublin City Council said it would have an inspector investigate the elaborate protest banner hanging on the front of The Players Lounge on the city’s northside and would decide today what action to take.
In 2003 the council forced builder Mick Wallace, who is now a TD, to remove a banner protesting against the invasion of Iraq from one of his sites on the grounds that it was a political statement and so did not enjoy the relative freedom given to advertising banners.
John Stokes, owner of the pub, said he would only take his banner down if ordered to by the courts which he said was a possibility.
“I believe there is an objection to the renewal of my late bar licence this week because of it so if a judge says it has to go, I’ll have to comply.”
But if he intended to make a point, the publicity generated by his actions has already achieved that goal although he was critical of newspaper reports in Scotland where his famous footballer son, Anthony, plays for Celtic.
Anthony Stokes, like Celtic manager Neil Lennon, has been on the receiving end of sectarian threats and harassment recently and John Stokes said he did not want his son dragged into the controversy.
“This has nothing whatsoever to do with Anthony. I didn’t consult him. But there have been headlines in Scotland saying Stokes’s Da Bars The Queen — it’s crazy that that takes precedence over death threats to Neil Lennon.”
Mr Stokes, 54, said he objected to the Queen’s visit here in May because of the cost of hosting the event at a time of economic crisis and for political reasons.
“We still have British forces on Irish soil and we still have political prisoners in Irish prisons. People can say it’s history but it’s not history yet.”
Mr Stokes’ actions have divided opinions and he has been accused of insulting the British people but he insisted no offence was intended. “It’s not even personal against the Queen — it’s about her position as head of state and commander of the British forces.”
Describing himself as a “life-long republican”, he revealed he was named after an uncle from Tullylease, Co Cork he said was shot dead by the British army during the War of Independence. “He was 16 and he was in a field picking potatoes. Nobody ever apologised to his family.”
Even if he had to take down the banner, he said he would continue his protest by selling T-shirts printed with the barring notice.
It is not the first time the pub has been in the headlines. Last year a doorman and two customers were injured in a shooting which Mr Stokes said was linked to his policy of refusing admission to known drug dealers from the area.
