Rock Bingo: Venture won’t hurt smaller clubs
Rock Bingo, which has been cleared to open at the old Waters Glass premises in Togher after a lengthy legal battle, said it believes the people who play bingo at smaller venues will continue to do so.
“We genuinely do not feel that we will end up competing with the concerned organisations,” Rock Bingo’s Dave Barber said yesterday.
“We are quite sure that their members will continue to support their own clubs’ fundraising initiatives and if anything, our bingo operation will reach quite a different audience and will probably make bingo an even more popular pastime in Cork, as it is in many large cities.
“For example in Dublin bingo continues to be enjoyed in small clubs as well as in the larger professional operations.”
His comments follow the High Court’s declaration last Friday that the activities of the company operating the Rock Bingo venue were lawful.
Omega Leisure Ltd, operating as an agent for a charity, had sought the declaration after a Garda raid on its premises last month, which stopped bingo sessions.
However, the company was not entitled to damages as a result of the raid, Mr Justice Frank Clarke ruled.
He also dismissed the company’s arguments that Togher-based Garda Superintendent Charles Barry, who sought warrants to carry out the raid, was guilty of misfeasance (improper execution of a lawful act) in public office.
The judge also said claims for damages, trespass and for property allegedly wrongly detained, could not succeed.
A full judgment on the case will be delivered later.
