Actor Michael Collins yesterday won the right to be served in a Dublin pub which he accused of discriminating against him because he is a Traveller.
The former cast member on the RTÉ soap, Glenroe, objected to the renewal of the licence for O'Gara's of Manor Street claiming the proprietor, Mr Thomas O'Gara, was unfit to hold it because of an alleged discriminatory policy.
The pub claimed Mr Collins was involved in a row which had broken out in a neighbouring pub last August and as a result was barred from O'Gara's. Mr Collins denied this and claimed he had specifically avoided any involvement in the row. Yesterday, Mr Collins withdrew his objection after Mr O'Gara agreed to serve him and to display a notice stating that the pub did not operate a discriminatory policy.
Dublin District Court heard that Mr Collins, who worked on Glenroe for 12 years before it ended, was a regular for six or seven years at Mulligan's pub, which is next door to O'Gara's.
Last August, he was drinking in Mulligan's when a dispute broke out between a couple who ended up rowing on the street outside. Mr Collins's wife tried to calm the pair. He followed her and advised her not to get involved if it had nothing to do with them. They went back inside and stayed until closing time.
The following week, Mr Collins was told by a barman in Mulligan's: "Ye people are not to be served here any more." When he asked what he meant by "ye people", the barman said: "You know what I am talking about".
When he queried it with the manager, he was told the pub could not serve Travellers because it would not get its licence from the licence holder, a firm in the process of transferring ownership to another company. A separate objection in relation to Mulligan's is pending.
Mr Collins believed there was a conspiracy among some pubs on Manor Street to stop serving Travellers and he decided to visit O'Gara's where he was also refused and accused of being involved in the row the previous week.
When he asked to meet the manager, he was initially ignored and then told he had already had too much to drink. Although he had never drunk in O'Gara's, he believed the staff knew who he was because of his acting work and because of his involvement in a local football team.
Judge Anne Watkin said rows occurred regularly outside pubs and it would be hard to justify barring someone for being present on one occasion when this happened. She renewed the pub's licence on the basis of Mr O'Gara's sworn undertaking not to discriminate. She also awarded costs to Mr Collins.