Healy Rae guilty of allowing late drinking on premises

Kerry County Councillor and publican Danny Healy Rae has pleaded guilty to allowing people to consume alcohol “after hours” in his Kilgarvan premises.

Kenmare District Court was yesterday told 30 people were on the premises, Healy Rae’s Bar, Main St, Kilgarvan, when gardaí arrived shortly before 2am on October 12, 2013 — an hour after closing time.

Garda Supt Flor Murphy, prosecuting, said gardaí arrived at 1.55am. “Drinking up time was between 12.30am and 1am,” he said

Mr Healy Rae has one previous conviction for “after hours”, in 2012.

Solicitor Eoin Brosnan said the Healy Rae bar was “a very well-run premises”. There was only one previous conviction.

The bar was an hour over time because of a family birthday party. “In fact, most of those present were there because of the birthday party and the other customers had all gone home,” the solicitor said.

The 60-year-old councillor and publican was initially summoned to appear last December before Kenmare district court on two separate allegations of after hours — that of October 12, 2013 and another for a Sunday night in March, 2014.

On that occasion, Mr Brosnan asked for all documents such as garda notebooks to be furnished to him and the matter was adjourned to yesterday.

When the matter was called, Mr Brosnan said the allegations of March 2014 had been withdrawn. His client was pleading to the “after hours” summons of Garda James Hendrick of October 12, 2013 — of allowing people to consume alcohol at a time prohibited by the licence.

Judge James O’Connor convicted Mr Healy Rae and fined him €150.