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The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Puck Fair goers win fight to keep late-night drinking, after gardaí sought to shut pubs at 2am
PUCK FAIR, ONE of Ireland's oldest festivals, where a goat is crowned King for three days and three nights, will see its late-night drinking tradition survive for 2025 after an appeal by publicans in Killorglin succeeded in the Circuit Court in Killarney today. On 10 July at the District Court of Killorglin sitting in Cahersiveen, 14 publicans applied under Section 10 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1962 for the annual special exemption for the three principal nights of the fair on 10, 11 and 12 August. However, gardaí objected on the grounds of straitened resources. District Court Judge David Waters set the closing time at 2am, in line with the Garda submission, saying the fair was not all about drinking. Today in the Circuit Court in Killarney, Judge Terence O'Sullivan said he saw no grounds to restrict the Puck Fair's traditional drinking time, which has historically ended at 3am. Puck Fair dates to 1603 the last year of the reign of King James 1 of England, Judge O'Sullivan noted. Since the 1970s, the pub closing time at Puck was 3am. 'Prior to that, there was a 24-hour opening of the pubs in Killorglin,' barrister Katie O'Connell, instructed by John O'Dwyer solicitor, had told the court. Daytime and family activities took place and afterwards people would go for a drink. Street entertainment ended at midnight and then the fair volunteers go for a drink to relax and enjoy themselves, Ms O'Connell said. Puck Fair was 'bigger than Christmas' for people from the region, the barrister said. 'Chipping away' at the status of the festival was taking place. The statue of the Puck Goat sat at the entrance to the town and economically the festival was important to Killorglin, with people put through college and school on the strength of the fair. Only the gardaí, not the locals, had objected, Ms O'Connell also said. Advertisement Garda Supt John Ryan of Killarney was called to give evidence by State solicitor Diane Reidy. The garda objections were twofold, Supt. Ryan said. Pubs were given an exemption to open to 2am the night preceding Puck Fair and the garda felt that four nights of going until to 2am would be sufficient, given that street entertainment finished at midnight. Having pubs open to 3am needed additional police resources. It was reasonable to reduce it by an hour, he felt. Cross examined by Ms O'Connell, Supt Ryan agreed the fair was 'the lifeblood of Killorglin'. Ms O'Connell also told Judge O'Sullivan that organisers of the festival did not want everyone spilling out from the pubs at 2am, and the extra hour would mean there was safer dispersal and organisation of buses and taxis. 'It's always been 3am. Nothing warrants the reduction,' she said. While she appreciated the extra garda resources was paid for through taxes, the Killorglin community were also taxpayers. The festival organisers contributed 3,000 euro to the resources of the gardai, she said. 'Judge Waters thought the front line (policing) should trump anything else,' she said. State solicitor Diane Reidy said the issue was one of resources, not public order and Puck Fair was the only festival in Kerry seeking to open until 3am. 'It's the proper allocation of resources and the additional strain on garda resources to police it,' Ms Reidy said. In his decision, delivered after a recess to look at the legislation, Judge O'Sullivan said the traditional opening had been to 3am and there was no evidence of anyone in the locality objecting on noise or nuisance. 'In reality, the objection is about the pressure on police resources without any particular incident,' the judge said. Judge O'Sullivan said he appreciated the District Court Judge had 'more connection' with the locality than himself, but he did not see any grounds to depart from the tradition. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Killorglin pubs granted late licences during Puck Fair
Publicans in Killorglin, Co Kerry, have been granted permission to serve alcohol until 3am during the Puck Fair festival following an appeal. On 10 July, at the District Court of Killorglin sitting in Cahersiveen, 14 publicans applied for a special exemption over the three principal nights of the festival on 10, 11 and 12 August. However, gardaí objected on the grounds of straitened resources. District Court Judge David Waters set the closing at 2am, in line with the garda submission, saying the fair was not all about drinking. Today in the Circuit Court in Killarney, Judge Terence O'Sullivan said he saw no grounds to shorten Puck Fair's traditional drinking time of 3am. 'Bigger than Christmas' The Puck Fair, which is one of Ireland's oldest festivals, sees a goat crowned king for three days and three nights. The festival dates back to 1603, the last year of the reign of King James I of England, Judge O'Sullivan noted. Since the 1970s, the pub closing time during the festival was 3am. "Prior to that, there was a 24-hour opening of the pubs in Killorglin," barrister Katie O'Connell, instructed by solicitor John O'Dwyer, had told the court. Family activities took place during the day and afterwards people would go for a drink, the court heard. Street entertainment ended at midnight and then fair volunteers would like to go for a drink to relax and enjoy themselves, Ms O'Connell said. The barrister said the Puck Fair was "bigger than Christmas" for people from the region. She said the status of the festival was "chipping away". Only the gardaí, not the locals, had objected, Ms O'Connell also said. Gda Supt John Ryan of Killarney was called to give evidence by State solicitor Diane Reidy. Supt Ryan said the garda objections were two-fold. Pubs were given an exemption to open to 2am the night preceding Puck Fair and the garda felt that four nights to 2am would be sufficient, given the street entertainment finished at midnight. Having pubs open to 3am needed additional police resources, he said, and he felt it was reasonable to reduce it by the hour. Cross-examined by Ms O'Connell, Supt Ryan agreed the fair was "the lifeblood of Killorglin". Ms O'Connell also told Judge O'Sullivan that organisers of the festival did not want everyone spilling out from the pubs at 2am and the extra hour would mean there was safer dispersal and organisation of buses and taxis. "It's always been 3am, nothing warrants the reduction," she said. While she appreciated that the extra garda resources were paid for through taxes, she added that the Killorglin community were also taxpayers. The festival organisers contributed €3,000 to the resources of the gardaí, she said. "Judge Waters thought the front line (policing) should trump anything else," Ms O'Connell said. State solicitor Diane Reidy said the issue was one of resources, not public order and the Puck Fair was the only festival in Kerry seeking to open to 3am. "It's the proper allocation of resources and the additional strain on garda resources to police it," Ms Reidy said. In his decision, delivered after a recess to look at the legislation, Judge O'Sullivan said the traditional opening had been to 3am, and there was no evidence of anyone in the locality objecting on noise or nuisance. "In reality, the objection is about the pressure on police resources without any particular incident," the judge said. Judge O'Sullivan said he appreciated the District Court Judge had "more connection" with the locality than himself, but he did not see any grounds to depart from the tradition, he said, granting the exemptions to 3am over three nights.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
PDC World Championship schedule released as fans hail ‘mind-melting amount of darts this Christmas'
Tickets will not be easy to come by if last year was anything to go by On the bull PDC World Championship schedule released as fans hail 'mind-melting amount of darts this Christmas' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SPORTS fans are in for a very merry footballdartsmas this year after the schedule for the Darts World Championship was released. The PDC have expanded the tournament to 128 players for the 2025/26 edition of the Alexandra Palace showpiece. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The PDC have revealed the schedule for the 2025/26 Darts World Championship Credit: PA 2 The competition has been expanded with more players, more money and more fans Credit: Alamy This comes with a record-breaking prize pot of £5million on the line, with this year's winner set to pocket an eye-watering £1m. And the schedule for the expanded competition has now been revealed by organisers. It will be a 20-day darts bonanza held across 36 sessions which is expected to welcome more than 100,000 fans. The likes of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will have to wait to discover their fate in the draw, but they know the round one action will get underway from Thursday, December 11. READ MORE IN DARTS LUKE OUT Darts legend Bobby George sends stark message to Luke Littler Round one will last over a week through to Friday, December 19, with every day except for the opening day and Wednesday, December 17 featuring an afternoon and evening session. Those who progress will then commence with the second round from Saturday, December 20, which will be played through to Tuesday, December 23 when the competition then takes a break for Christmas. The darts then return with round three action on Saturday, December 27. That will last through to Monday, December 29, when three round three clashes play out at the same time as two round four games. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The remainder of round four will be played out across two sessions on Tuesday, December 30. Similarly, the quarter-finals will take place across an afternoon and evening session on New Year's Day. Darts legend Bobby George sends stark message to Luke Littler as he warns sensation he can 'go from hero to zero quick' Friday, January 2 will see the semi-finals played out, before the darts festival then concludes on Saturday, January 3. Fans have called the tournament a "a mind-melting amount of darts". However, fans could be hard-pressed to get tickets as the popularity of darts continues to soar. A record 40,000 were bought by annual members in the first 30 minutes of pre-sale for the event last year. The PDC website struggled to cope with the traffic and some fans fumed as they got stuck on a "black screen". Other fans were left furious after touts got their hands on tickets before reselling them on some sites for a colossal £800.
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Asking Eric: Neither child will apologize
Dear Eric: I have three adult children. About three years ago there was an issue, and my oldest, Doug, and middle, Linda, disrespected each other. It wasn't a small issue, but (in my and my wife's opinion) it wasn't a huge offense. Neither will apologize. They refuse to speak to each other. We have tried many ways to try and bridge the gap, to no success. I'm not asking for them to kiss and make up. I'm just saying, 'Be cordial, be humane to other people in our house.' We host holiday meals, and birthday parties at our house, and this animosity really hurts and makes the dynamics difficult. Even seating at the table needs to be arranged. Recently, I told my wife, 'Only people that are willing to be humane and cordial will be invited to family meals.' My wife doesn't want to do that, in part she fears losing access to grandchildren. I said, 'Fine, for Easter meals they can be jerks but for Christmas they have to be cordial. I'll just go upstairs because it's too painful to be there. And you can't holler at me for being a jerk, because you don't holler at them for being jerks.' Am I asking too much? – Stressed Father Dear Father: You're not asking too much but be careful to not let your relationship with your wife become collateral damage to Doug and Linda's fight. Although you see this situation differently, you and your wife have the same goal of family harmony. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that a 'civil on Easter, acrimonious on Christmas' kind of split is going to work in practice. It's more likely that an honest, and plain-spoken appeal to your kids might have an impact. You've tried to get them to be civil to each other and to bridge the gap, but I wonder if you've told them, clearly and honestly, how painful their poor behavior is for you. They've made their anger everyone's problem and it seems they're the only ones who don't have to do anything special to accommodate it. That needs to stop. See how your wife feels about telling them, 'it's your business how you treat your sibling, but I'm asking you to stop involving me and your mother and the warm home we work so hard to create in this fight.' She may not go for it, and I understand. But by holding the threat of losing access to your grandchildren over you, your kids are showing an unnecessary amount of cruelty to people (you) who don't deserve it. That's worth being spoken about in the open. Dear Eric: My fiancé and I had to move back into his parents due to the crippling economy. My problem lies with his father. He is fully disabled and stubborn. He has been getting up to use the bathroom, which would be OK if he could do it properly. He can't; he urinates all over the floor. We have told him multiple times that, due to us having a child in the home, I always end up cleaning it, but I never get reimbursed. I'm seriously considering calling Adult Protective Services on grounds of self-neglect. He will not take showers as well and is a suicide risk. My issue is I want to call but I don't want to be a problem starter in a family that's already called Department of Children and Family Services on me out of pettiness. What would you do? – In-Law Struggles Dear In-Law: There are a few things that are concerning about the situation you've described. It sounds like your fiancé's father needs more comprehensive help than he currently has access to. If he's at-risk for suicide and has problems providing for his basic needs, then, yes, Adult Protective Services or a social worker should be brought into assist the family. This doesn't strike me as pettiness; the family is neglecting a vulnerable individual. I'm also concerned about the call made about you. Without more information, it's not possible to comment save for pointing out that this living situation is not, at present, healthy for you or for your child. You, your fiancé, and whomever else is in the house need to have a frank conversation about the tensions in the house and how you can all best work to protect the vulnerable people in the home, namely your fiancé's father and your child. It may be that this isn't the right place to raise a child right now. In your letter, I read frustration with your fiancé's father. That's understandable but as you address what's wrong in the house, try to focus on the bigger issue. He needs more support than he currently has, even if he doesn't want it, and those of you helping him need more support, too.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'I use trauma of my dad's death to help children'
A woman whose father died when she was 10 said it inspired her to help children who found themselves in foster care. Sheena, from Lancashire, lost her husband in a crash when her children were aged 10 and 12. Foster carer Sheena said enduring personal tragedies means she has been able to help others though trauma. Lancashire County Council said despite being a foster care for only a year she has transformed the life of a young girl. The 57-year-old said: "We have come through some tough times as a family and this is why l wanted to foster to give hope, love and happiness to another child." Sheena added: "It was hard for my children, but l was able to help them through it by talking about it and not keeping feelings inside. "We have photos up all over the house of both my dad and my husband. "We have come through some tough times as a family and this is why l wanted to foster to give hope, love and happiness to another child. "l have had enough trauma to help children through theirs." The county council she has made a "huge difference" to an eight-year-old in her care. Emily - not the girl's real name - had lived in several different homes before living with Sheena. She has now settled in school and has gone from being unable to read or write to enjoying reading books and practising her spellings. Sheena said: "What Emily really needed was stability and a family to be there for her. "She has needed one-on-one time and support to help her at school and it's made a world of difference. "Her behaviour has also improved, and I think having rules, boundaries and a structure has been the making of her." Sheena added: "What she's really craved is love and affection, which we've showered her with. "Emily tells us she loves being part of a family of her own, and as a tomboy she enjoys playing football with my son. "This older-brother relationship is a great benefit." She said her daughter and her daughter's partner would look after Emily to give Sheena a break so she could see her friends. Her daughter also does extra tutoring with Emily. Last year, Lancashire became one of nine regions across the UK to open the Foster With Us Hub, with the aim of local authorities working together to help recruit, share resources and provide more support for foster carers. In turn, it is hoped more people will be willing and able to foster. According to the latest government data, there was a 4% drop in foster carers in north-west England in the last year. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. 'We thought we were too young to be foster carers' Council to increase fostering cash incentive 'My foster kids had never celebrated Christmas' Super foster mum says she will never stop 'Becoming a foster parent made me a better person' Lancashire County Council
