Customers discriminated against in restaurant, pub

A Chinese restaurant in Ballina, Co Mayo, and a pub in Ballygar, Co Galway, have been found by the Equality Tribunal to have discriminated against customers in Traveller-related cases.

The tribunal found that Jean Browne had been discriminated against at Chung's restaurant in Ballina on Traveller grounds "by association", when on July 20th, 2003, she was refused entry by a doorman. He told her they did not want her kind there.

A regular at the restaurant for two years, Ms Browne had attended a Christening party there earlier that day and went home to change. On return she was refused entry. She found out that a short time earlier, a Traveller cousin and his wife had also been refused entry, while afterwards the doorman asked those of the group still inside to leave.

The doorman was not available to come before the tribunal but his employer, Mr Chung, said if he had stopped Ms Browne, he must have had good reason.

The tribunal found Mr Chung had failed to rebut the inference of discrimination and ordered Ms Browne be paid €1,000 "for the effects of the discrimination".

It found similarly for John and Mary Stokes, who were awarded €1,000 each against Gilmore's Pub, Ballygar, for being "victimised as a result of lodging their claims". They were regulars at the pub until December 2002, when they were told they would not be served until after Christmas.

They agreed there had been an altercation outside the pub involving their daughter and son-in- law, but they had had no part in it.

Mr Gilmore told the tribunal that on December 21st, a group was celebrating the Christening of the Stokes's grandchild. They left the pub without disturbance, but there was an altercation outside, where he saw Mr Stokes arguing with his son-in-law.

Subsequently Mr Stokes was told that he was not welcome in the pub. Mr Gilmore said Mr and Ms Stokes effectively barred themselves when they lodged a complaint against him, which came to his notice in early 2003.