- The latest opponents of the new Intoxicating Liquor Bill are
the
country's sporting bodies. Under the terms of the Act, golf
clubs,
GAA clubs, rugby clubs, soccer clubs and others will no longer
be
permitted to make their premises available for wedding receptions
and
similar events unless the booking is made by a club member.
When the
Bill was being considered by an Oireachtas Committee a member
of the
Independent Liquor Licence Reform Group highlighted the anomaly
where
a restaurant will be able to serve wine and beer but not an
Irish
coffee. J.J. Bunyan argued that the two Vintner
Associations had
"their fingerprints all over" the Bill. Another
member of the ILLRG
said that while he could sell wine in his
supermarket, if he wished
to sell beer he would have to spend around
IR130k on a pub licence.