Travellers wrongly banned from nightclub

Fourteen members of the Traveller community were denied admission to a New Years Eve party in the “South” Nightclub, Tramore on 31 December 2002. They believed that the refusal was solely because they were recognised as members of the Traveller community. They had not bought the tickets as a group and they arrived in various groups at the nightclub at separate times.

One group was told that “the manager said you were not to be let in”. Others were told that they were not being admitted because the bouncers did not know them or because they had not been there before. They asked the bouncers to call the Gardaí and the Gardaí arrived soon afterwards. The Gardaí spoke to the bouncers and then told the group that they weren't being allowed in and that the bouncers were not prepared to give a reason. The Gardaí told them that they could not do any more for them. The group then left quietly.

At a hearing in front of an equality officer, one of the Gardaí who arrived on the scene, Garda Michael Barry, gave evidence. He said when he arrived he met a large group of Travellers outside the nightclub. There was no evidence that any of them were under the influence of alcohol and the group were very polite in their dealings with him. Another Garda spoke to the security staff who confirmed that the group had been refused but who would not give a reason as to why. The group then left quietly. Garda Barry said that the only reason he could see for the refusal was that the group had been recognised as Travellers.

The equality officer found a prima facie case of discrimination had been established and, since the owners of the night club had declined to attend the hearing, he was not in a position to consider any countervailing evidence and therefore found in favour of the Travellers. He ordered the owner to pay each of the 14 complainants the sum of e500 for the hurt and humiliation each suffered on the evening of 31 December 2002.