Limerick racing fan pipped at the post by gardaí
The man was off at a gallop when he set up a lavish hospitality suite at his home in Southill.
Plasma screens were installed, a wide range of beer and wines were brought in for the biggest racing week of the year.
Not being a wine man, no reds or whites were to be dispensed. But he did have top brand whiskeys such as Jameson and Jack Daniel’s.
His friends were invited to avail of the extraordinary home comforts, with the house owner planning to treat them like the great and famous in the VIP boxes in the grandstand at Prestbury Park.
However, like some of the race favourites yesterday, the man’s glorious plans came unstuck at the last moment.
In the days leading up to the meeting, he had invited some neighbours to come and marvel at his Cheltenham hospitality, set-up, which he labelled the Arkle Room.
But as the hospitality suite was not due to open until yesterday, recent visitors were charged cut-down prices —with the princely sum of €3 for pints.
However, word filtered around O’Malley Park about the “happy hour” council house and more and more callers streamed to the Cheltenham suite.
Limerick gardaí got wind of Cheltenham-on-the-hill and swooped.
A spokesman said the family home was deemed by gardaí to be a shebeen as money had been exchanged. Understandably, they closed it down.
And invited guests, who arrived yesterday, had to make last-minute alternative arrangements for a pint.
