A Galway publican is the first bar owner in the country to be prosecuted for breaching the smoking ban.
A Galway publican, Pádraig Folan has become the first bar owner in the country to be prosecuted and convicted under the legislation banning smoking in the workplace. The prosecution was brought by the Western Health Board. At Derrynae District Court Pádraig Folan, proprietor of Tí Hanraí, at Lettermore in Connemara, was fined €1,200 for breaching the legislation and ordered to pay €500 in costs.
Tí Hanraí caters for a large local trade and tourists during the summer. On 14 May 2004, an environmental officer inspecting the premises found three customers smoking in the bar. Co-owner of Tí Hanraí Karen Healy is adamant these customers were asked to put out their cigarettes,
We do not tolerate smoking, we are fully behind the smoking ban for health reasons of our work staff.
The publican does not feel she was given a fair hearing in court but,
That's how it goes.
Karen Healy adds that both she and partner Pádraig Folan did their best to comply with the order. They had great difficulty in enforcing the legislation as longstanding regular customers took it personally when requested to smoke outside the pub.
Customer Pádraic Seoighe is happy to smoke his pipe outside Tí Hanraí when the weather is fine, but when there are rainstorms,
We’ll probably get blown away here.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 July 2004. The reporter is Jim Fahy.
