A DISTRICT court judge has granted a drinks licence application for Kinsale Rugby Club for their annual Kinsale 7s rugby tournament, subject to improved signage at the event warning young people of the consequences of drug possession and public order offending.
At Bandon District Court last week, Judge James McNulty told solicitor Tony Greenway that it was agreed that the signage, which was first erected last year in the club grounds and in the town centre, needs to be improved.
He said it was also important that these signs are erected properly.
Judge McNulty took this unusual step for last year’s tournament due to the high numbers of young people coming before him in the district court in recent years facing drugs possession charges arising out of the Kinsale 7s.
The judge had previously said that the event in 2019 was like a ‘snow fest’ due to the amounts of cocaine being used and also seized by the gardaí.
The signs last year stated that ‘assaults, public order and drug offences are treated very seriously in the local court’ and he reminded people that a conviction for a drugs offence will affect one’s career prospects and may spoil any future travel plans.
Mr Greenway said Kinsale Rugby Club has no issue with improving the signs and said he would liaise with gardaí to see if anything needs to be added to the signs.
Sgt Tom Mulcahy said the gardaí have no objection to the granting of the drinks licence for Saturday May 4th next from 10.30am to 9pm and for Sunday May 5th from 12.30pm to 9pm at their club grounds in Snugmore in Kinsale.
The judge granted the application subject to compliance with local gardaí on making sure the signage is improved as discussed, which will be paid for by the organisers of the rugby tournament or their sponsors.
Last year’s event, which was the first held since 2019, was described as a ‘game changer’ with less than 10 people facing prosecutions for drug-related offences, while five people were arrested for drink driving, while there were two assault arrests.
