Month: April 2013

AN ENNIS man verbally abused staff in a Chinese take away in a row over barbecue sauce, a court has heard.

John Mongan (34) also told gardaí to “fuck off” after they were called to the incident on the Mill Road, Ennis on February 16 (2013).

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to charges of intoxication and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

Solicitor John Casey told the court that his client was drunk on the night and the row started after Mr Mongan received the wrong food order.

Judge Patrick Durcan asked what the accused had ordered on the night.

Mr Mongan said he ordered barbecue spare ribs but had not received any barbecue sauce.

Mr Casey said, “He’s not impressed with his behaviour and he accepts he was one hundred per cent wrong.”

Laughter could be heard around the courtroom during the brief court hearing.

Mr Mongan, with an address at 71 Glenina, Ennis, apologised in court for his behaviour on the night.

He said, “I’m very sorry your honor, to the gardaí and the Chinese restaurant.”

Mr Casey said his client’s behaviour was inexcusable.

He added, “He does view this seriously and he is concerned by this.”

The court heard the father of four has a previous conviction for a public order offence.

Judge Durcan said, “I regard this as a serious matter because of the previ- ous conviction.”

He said fast food operators provide a good service.

He said it is not acceptable that people abuse members of the gardaí.

Judge Durcan imposed a twomonth prison sentence, suspending it on condition that Mr Mongan be of good behaviour and law abiding.

Judge Durcan warned Mr Mongan that he would have to control his drinking.

He added, “If you come back here and you are convicted of a public order offence, you will be leaving in the first Paddy wagon I can find.”

THE economic recession is hitting Lahinch Golf Club, with the annual accounts for 2012 showing that the county’s flagship course has been hit by a loss of 500 fee-paying members in the last three years.

It was revealed on Friday last that a drop in new membership numbers in the past year has contributed to a financial slide of a 46 per cent decline in profits for 2012.

The figures are contained in the latest annual report showing that the club, which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2017, saw profits drop by € 248,084 from € 540,231 in 2011 to € 291,947 last year.

Plummeting revenues from entrance fee levies on new members is the main factor behind this drop in profits, with the figures for 2012 drop- ping by 94 per cent from € 262,999 in 2011 to just € 15,000 last year.

This rate of loss has also been magnified by over the past three years the Lahinch has lost 500 fee-paying members, a statistic that was revealed by club captain Ray Hennessy in the report to the annual general meeting that took place on Friday last.

In 2012 membership dropped by 87 from 2,772 to 2,685, a figure that follows on from the loss of 75 members in 2011, a year in which an additional 98 members were granted leave of absences from the club, although many are expected to rejoin.

In a response to tackle the dropoff in membership, the club last year slashed entrance fees for new members from € 25,000 to € 10,000 and also proposed a new intermediate category of membership.

However, the financial figures also show that the drop in membership monies have been offset in part by a seven percent increase in green fee income in 2012 to € 1.13m.

A collapse in green fee traffic post2008 saw a decline of 45 per cent in revenues from the € 1.87m that was garnered in 2007.

This drop saw the club record a combined operating loss of € 1m in 2008 and 2009.

However, a restructuring at the club that plays host to the prestigious South of Ireland Amateur Championship every year saw it return to profit in 2011 when an operating surplus of € 97,626 was recorded.