Gang targets pub owned by Celtic star's father

An armed gang has held up the Dublin pub belonging to the father of Celtic star Anthony Stokes.

Up to four men tied up a member of staff at the Players Lounge in Fairview, north Dublin, at about 2am and made off with a sum of money.

A fire broke out in the premises at around the same time and gardaí are looking at the possibility that the robbery and blaze are linked.

Nobody was hurt in either incident.

Players Lounge owner John Stokes was charged in May over allegations that he threatened a business rival.

The 54-year-old appeared before a special sitting of Dublin District Court where he was accused of ordering another publican, with menace, to cease trading within 24 hours.

It is not known whether he was in the bar when the robbery took place.

Earlier this year, Stokes was ordered to remove a massive 40ft banner barring the Queen from his pub during May’s historic state visit.

He said he reluctantly agreed to take it down after a senior garda threatened to object to his application for late licences.

Gardaí later confirmed that two fires started in the premises, causing extensive damage to the lounge area, before being brought under control by four units of Dublin Fire Brigade.

Investigators said one of the raiders was armed during the robbery and took the bar manager to the office where the safe is kept.

“This staff manager was then tied up and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken,” the Garda statement added.

Anthony Stokes was back in Dublin with Celtic at the weekend for the Super Cup competition and yesterday scored two goals against Airtricity XI, which is made up from players in the Irish league.

The Players Lounge hit the headlines in July last year when three men – a doorman and two customers – were gunned down outside the premises.

And this April Stokes Senior, his wife, Joan, 55, and the footballer’s uncle, Paul Byrne, 46, were arrested after bullets, cocaine and three stun guns were discovered in a shed at the back of his pub.

All three were later released without charge and a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.