GARDA warnings to pub licence holders not to permit drug dealing or taking on their premises have been a success, a senior officer said yesterday.
This follows the successful objections by gardai through Cork state solicitor, Mr Barry Galvin, to the renewal of a licence for a pub leased by a man accused of being a front for drug dealers in Cork city.
Det Supt Dermot Dwyer said gardai had visited some pubs and outlined to the licensees their obligations not to permit their premises to be used for drug dealing.
Mr Galvin has advocated objecting to pub licences for premises used for drug dealing. He confirmed gardai were targeting the pubs in the city allegedly being used for this purpose.
He said drug dealers were buying or having others front for them in the purchase or lease of pubs in the city to ensure they had locations to distribute drugs.
Last Friday in the District Court Judge Terence Finn refused an application for a licence renewal by Mr Paul Fitzgerald, a former Irish soldier and basketball international who leased the The Screaming Monkey pub in McCurtain Street in Cork city centre.
Mr Galvin told the court Mr Fitzgerald was a friend of Mr Christy Flynn, who he described as "possibly Cork's most notorious drug dealer", with firearms and drug dealing convictions. He claimed Mr Fitzgerald had been given money to lease the pub by Mr Flynn and his brother, Bobby, who also has a criminal record, in exchange for allowing the premises to be used for drug dealing.
Mr Fitzgerald's only conviction was for serving drink after hours and he denied he was friendly with the Flynns. He said he had borrowed £12,000 from the AIB to lease the pub and did not receive funding from the Flynns. However, Judge Finn said Mr Fitzgerald was not of suitable character and refused his application for renewal of the pub licence.