A Donegal pub owner has been given until September 23rd next to consider the position of his license after being charged with another breach of the licensing laws.
Martin Coyle, licensee of the Village Inn in Kerrykeel, appeared at Letterkenny District Court on Thursday last.
He had previously appeared at the same court on June 6th last after Gardai had found numerous patrons drinking at his bar at 4.14am on September 12th, 2022.
At that court appearance the court was told that Coyle, aged 47, had numerous previous convictions for after-hours drinking going back to 2016.
Addressing the court on that occasion, solicitor for the accused, Ms Maureen Gallagher told court that it was her client’s intention to transfer the license to his grown-up children.
Pleading with Judge Eiteain Cunningham not to endorse her client’s license, she said his children have “a different attitude to running the premises.”
Judge Cunningham agreed to adjourn the case until last Thursday to see what happened with regard to the license of the bar.
However, when the case was called Ms Gallagher said the license had not been transferred in the name of Mr Coyle’s children and this was not a road that he wished to go down.
Judge Cunningham said that she was adjourning the case for sentencing until September 23rd next but warned Ms Gallagher that “the court’s options are very much restricted.”
Mr Coyle’s latest court appearance relate to an incident on September 12th, 2022.
Garda Suzanne Gordon previously told the court that Gardai received an anonymous tip-off of after-hours drinking at the premises.
Herself and a colleague called to the Village Inn, arriving at 4.30am.
The front door of the premises was closed but they made their way into the premises through a back door which was open and unlocked.
Garda Gordon said she noticed five males in the bar area and that freshly-poured pints of beer were present and music was playing.
She said it took patrons a couple of minutes to realise that the Gardai were present.
Garda Gordon said the owner of the bar, Martin Coyle, approached her and said “You f***ers are out to get me.”
She added that Mr Coyle was intoxicated and aggressive.
Garda Gordon said she asked for the names of all the patrons on the premises but added that she already knew most of them.
She added that Coyle’s son was also on the premises and she requested him to close the bar, turn off the music and lock up the doors.
Coyle, who was charged with selling intoxicating liquor after hours, was not called to give evidence.
Solicitor for the accused, Ms Maureen Gallagher, put it to Garda Gordon that the front door was locked and there was not easy access to the rear door but Garda Gordon replied that they had no problem entering through the back door.
Ms Gallagher also said that her client had contacted the Garda station afterwards and apologised to Garda Gordon.
Garda Gordon said she did recall a phonecall but not an apology.
Ms Gallagher put it to the court that the Village Inn was in a country area and that it encountered only seasonal trade from March to October and that it did not have a lot of patrons all year ’round.
She added that it was a family business and Garda Gordon confirmed that the premises had not come to Garda attention since this incident.
The case was adjourned until September 23rd next.