A judge was highly critical of a local authority for taking a litter prosecution against a local businessman who had put up an advertising hoarding on a footpath when he compared it to the “vanity signage” at the side of all new roadworks around the country.
At a special sitting of Athlone District Court this week (January 26 ) was Christy O’Connor (37 ), from Shannonbridge, Co Offaly who had chained a mobile billboard advertising his Supermacs franchise to a wheelie bin during the Ballinasloe Horse Fair.
Photographs of the offending hoarding were shown to the court and it was built to a V-apex, about the size of a small shop window.
According to the solicitor for Offaly County Council, the hoarding was across a footpath outside a school and “was not in accordance with the law”.
The council was seeking €350 in expenses from the court.
“He was trying to drum up business but is unfortunately no longer in business,” said defending solicitor, Mr Paul Connellan.
“The sign was in a parking area and was not disturbing traffic. He had been in business for three and a half years and to be frank he was struggling for this time.”
“You drive any road in Ireland and you see the seed, breed and generation of the county managers and engineers who were involved in it,” said Judge David Anderson.
“It’s called vanity signage.”
“I have to say, this [hoarding] was on the footpath,” said the solicitor for Offaly County Council.
“Yes,” said the judge, “ but some of these [motorway] signs are up for 10 years telling me the engineer went to UCG. On the M50 there’s all these signs telling me the Luas line is to be extended. It’s like the circus is coming to town”.
O’Connor was fined €100 and ordered to pay €350 in costs to the council.
