Does Galway city need another off-licence? That was the question posed by Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court this week following an application by a specialist wine company to open a new off-licence in the Westside of the city.
Limerick-based Grand Cru Wines Ltd, trading as Fine Wines, c/o Norman O’Leary and Co. solicitors, Howley’s Quay, Limerick, brought an application before the court for a certificate to obtain a new spirit, wine and beer licence, so that it could open a new off-licence at the now vacant Unit 3, Seamus Quirke Road, Galway, (across the road from Dunnes Stores in Westside ).
Inspector Sean Glynn said Gardai had no objection to the granting of the new licence.
Company director John Blake, gave evidence that the company had several other off-licences dotted around the country and that staff underwent training, especially with regard to the prevention of underage drinking.
“Does Galway need another off-licence? I thought the new legislation with regard to the off-licence trade curtailed the numbers of off-licences now and that there could only be so many of them operating within the same area,” Judge Fahy said.
Inspector Glynn agreed that the new legislation, introduced earlier this year, provided for more stringent conditions with regard to the granting of licences.
Judge Fahy told Adrian Harris, solicitor, who told the court he was just “standing in” for a company of solicitors in Limerick, that such licences were no longer being granted like they used to be or so easily with “just a nod”.
The judge noted that three other off-licences operated within a 3km distance of the proposed premises. The solicitor said only one of those was a specialist wine outlet like Fine Wines.
Hearing the proposed off-licence would operate in close proximity to a Subway sandwich bar, Judge Fahy became even more concerned. She said very young people congregate legitimately in places like Subway and she feared they might be tempted by easy access to alcohol if an off-licence was situated so close by.
Mr Blake assured Judge Fahy that the company was operating since 1991 and had only one conviction, recorded in September, for serving underage people after staff served two underage youths who had threatened them. He said that happened at one of their stores in Limerick and the court there had not endorsed the licence but had ordered closure of the premises for one day - on December 15 next.
Adjourning the application to December 1, Judge Fahy noted that while the Gardai had no objection to the granting of the licence, she needed time to read the new legislation governing the granting of such licences. “I have to be satisfied that Galway needs another off-licence”, she said again.
