The wife of Glenroe actor Michael Collins yesterday lost her challenge to the renewal of a pub licence.
Ms Catherine Collins (30) claimed the Halfway House, near where she lives on Dublin's Navan Road, had refused to serve her drink because she was a Traveller.
She said when she challenged the barman to give her a reason he had said "ye people", which she took to mean Travellers, had caused a disturbance in the pub previously.
But yesterday, Judge Patrick Brady found the pub did not have a policy of discrimination against Travellers and said Ms Collins had misunderstood what had been said to her. "I am satisfied she was not correct in her interpretation and I think she misunderstood the situation."
Judge Brady also noted it was Ms Collins's brother Barney, who had been refused drink and not Ms Collins herself. There was no evidence that her brother had been acting as her agent in ordering drink.
However, he added, it was disappointing that the licensee, Mr Con Tracey, had not made an effort to clear up the misunderstanding before it came to court and that no formal apology was given to Ms Collins.
Dublin District Court heard the incident involving Ms Collins occurred on April 29th last when she went to the Halfway for lunch with her nephew, who had just made his confirmation, her brother, two other adults and her two children.
While she and the other adults got food from the carvery, her brother Barney went up to the bar to order drinks but was refused by barman Mr Michael Mullane, who told them they could have food but no drink.
When challenged by Ms Collins she claims he said: "Ye people were in her three days ago and let your children run around the pub and got very noisy after a few drinks."
The gardai were called by Ms Collins, who obtained a refund for her food and then left.
Mr Mullane told the court he had not refused to serve her. What he did say was: "I am not refusing you because you are Travellers, I said there was a group of you people in here yesterday and they caused a bit of a disturbance and the kids were running around and they were asked to leave."
Mr Tracey told the court he regularly served Travellers, especially for Sunday lunch. Everybody was welcome in his pub as long as they behaved.