A group of residents yesterday asked a judge to block the renewal of hotel nightclub's drinks licence. Their five-year battle to curb nuisance from the club was undone by last year's relaxation of the licensing laws.
Residents of Grove Road in Malahide, Co Dublin, claim late-night disturbances from Maud Plunkett's hotel and pub continue unabated despite a landmark decision last year which all but put an end to its nightclub. The hotel argues it has made strenuous efforts to deal with residents' concerns.
In February last year, a judge ordered that late-night dancing could only continue under a number of stringent conditions. The nightclub element of the hotel's business ceased because gardai said they would object to late-night bar extensions until all the conditions of the February judgement were complied with. But in July, the new Intoxicating Liquor Act came into force, allowing pubs to stay open until 1 a.m. While dancing did not resume, residents had once again to endure loud music and other late-night noise.
District Court president Mr Peter Smithwick heard how Maud Plunketts was taken over in 1995, by a firm called Derrygale Ltd. Yesterday, residents asked the court not to renew the drinks licence as the problems had got worse.
The case continues.