The conviction of a former Judge Roy Beans' bouncer, Paul Burke, is not the first time Ardclose Taverns Ltd, which owns the pub, has found itself embroiled in controversy over the behaviour of its security staff.
The latest case, which saw Burke jailed for four years, once again puts the spotlight on the unregulated pub and night-club security industry.
While legislation governing the sector is due to come before the Dáil next year, it was first announced by the Government three years ago.
In June 2002 the Dublin Circuit Court awarded €27,000 to a couple who had been the victims of a commando-like assault at Lillie's Bordello night-club, which is also owned by Ardclose Taverns.
Mr Vincent and Ms Pamela Lawlor were assaulted by doormen led by a former Yugoslav special forces soldier, Dino Vidan, who had been trained in unarmed combat.
Friends of the Lawlors told the court that they had never seen anything like what had happened to Mr Lawlor in Grafton Street on February 21st, 1999, the night of the attack. They said they thought that he would die as they saw him being kicked in the head.
Vidan was acting manager of Lillie's Bordello on the night in question. When he told the court he had been trained in unarmed combat, Judge Joseph Mathews said he would be "a machine" in comparison with Mr Lawlor in any struggle which might have ensued.
Mr Lawlor, a 40-year-old sales director, and his wife, of Sound View, Tucket's Lane, Howth, told the court that when he (Mr Lawlor) asked why they were being refused entry at a time when others were freely being allowed into the club, he had been lifted by his shirt off his feet by a bouncer, Dermot Mulholland, and thrown on his back into Grafton Street.
He had then been held on his back by two bouncers while Mulholland and Dino Vidan punched and kicked him in his chest, arms and head.
Mulholland told the court that Mr Lawlor had tried to head-butt him. He said Mr Lawlor fell on wet tiles, but he had not been kicked.
Three members of the Egan family are listed as directors of Ardclose Taverns in documents at the Companies Office: Mr Christopher Egan (42) and Mr Christopher Robin Egan (65), both with an address at Landore Hall, Rathgar, and Mr David Egan (37), of Belgrave Square West, Monkstown.
Mr Christopher Egan snr, Mr David Egan and Ms Phyllis Egan (63), of Landore Hall, Rathgar, are also directors of Brussels Inns Ltd, the licensed premises with an address at 7-8 Harry Street, off Grafton Street.
When they were contacted last night, solicitors for Ardclose Taverns declined to comment. Efforts to contact Ardclose directors failed. Ardclose's telephone was not answered, and the firm failed to return calls made to Lillie's Bordello and Judge Roy Beans.
People in the security industry believe that when the Private Security Industry Bill becomes law it could result in incidents such as the one involving the Lawlors becoming a thing of the past.
Mr Ray Guinan, president of the Irish Security Industry Association, said the new legislation was to be welcomed because it would set out criteria for entry into the sector as well as penalties for those who flouted the regulations.
The Bill provides for the establishment of an authority which will operate a new licensing system for providers of security services and establish a register of licence-holders.
