Five Kilkenny pubs have been ordered to pay a group of Traveller women a total of €8,950 in compensation after they were found to have discriminated against the women by refusing them service.
The ruling was issued by the Office of the Director of Equality Investigations yesterday.
The pubs which must pay up include the Kilmore Arms, Shem's Bar, Biddy Early's, Matt the Millars and the Harp Bar.
Complaints of discrimination were registered against them and three other Kilkenny pubs following a night out by four women Travellers and their teacher on January 19th, 2001.
The women, in evidence, said the night out arose following a discussion of an anti-discrimination play which had been performed at Kilkenny Castle which dealt with difficulties Travellers experienced in obtaining service in pubs. They said their teacher was surprised such discrimination would be widespread and it was suggested she go out with them some night and see for herself.
On January 19th last year they went to Kilkenny and visited pubs as they came to them. They sought access to eight pubs, were served without question in one - Langton's - and were refused entry at the others.
The Equality Officer found two of the seven pubs - the Quays Bar and Paris Texas Bar - did not discriminate and that one, the Kilford Arms, had a justifiable reason for refusing one of the women, as she had been barred previously.
However, in refusing service to all the party the Equality Officer found that the three remaining members, who all drank in the pub before without causing trouble, were treated less favourably than non-Travellers in similar circumstances would be treated. An award of €250 was made to the three remaining complainants.
The owner of Shem's Bar fully accepted that discrimination occurred and apologised. The Equality Officer ordered him to pay €150 to each of the complainants.
In refusing the women entry at Biddy Early's, the doorman mentioned that he was married to a Traveller and that he "knew what it was like". The owner was ordered to pay each of the women €400 compensation.
Matt the Millars said it refused the complainants entry as the bar manager noticed the women moving through the crowd towards the bar and did not like the manner they were "hitting-off" people. The Equality Officer considered it quite normal for someone entering a busy pub to push their way through the crowd to get to the bar. He ordered the publican to pay each of the complainants €500.
At the Harp Bar the bar manager said he was concerned the women could be the wives of four Travellers who had previously attacked him. However, he admitted to serving several other Traveller men and women unknown to him between the date of the assault and the date of the incident. Finding that discrimination occurred, the Equality Officer ordered the pub to pay each of the complainants €1,000.
The Quays Bar was found not to have discriminated as it had a dress code under which no tracksuits or trainers were allowed. Two of the complainants were wearing tracksuit bottoms. The Paris Texas Bar, also found not to have engaged in discrimination, had refused the party entry as they did not have ID and at least one of them was suspected to be under age.