Big Night.. Revellers enjoying the recent Shoreline Festival. There has been strong online support for extending Enniskillen’s ’embarassing’ 1am closing time.
THERE have been calls for Enniskillen opening hours to be extended to 3am after visiting tourists said it was “embarrassing” to see police throwing punters out of pubs at 1am.
The suggestion to bring the county town into line with the likes of Belfast and much of the UK was made by Lisbellaw man Mark Robinson after a recent night out in the town.
Mark, an admin on the Enniskillen Family, Friends and Neighbours Facebook page, has been strongly supported in his suggestion with hundreds of locals backing him in an online poll.
Over 300 local people took part in Mark’s survey, with around 230 voting in favour of extending the opening hours.
“We were out on Saturday night in Enniskillen and there was a large number of tourists out which was brilliant to see,” said Mark, explaining there appeared to be a lot of backpackers, as well as music fans visiting for the Shoreline Festival.
“All these people were so shocked and one even stated “this is really embarrassing” when the pubs shut 1am with the police chasing everyone into the street.
“It made me really think, it is really embarrassing having the police escort everyone out of a pub and onto the street where they all fall around and cause problems.”
Mark, who studied at university in England and has travelled widely, said extended opening hours always worked well in other places: “This issue is something I have always had an opinion about, however it has been solidified by my travels and experiences.”
Mark, who said he doesn’t drink much himself but enjoys socialising, gave a list of ‘pros and cons’ arguing for and against extending pub opening hours.
The ‘cons’ included the impact on staff, who would have to work later, street noise bothering nearby residents, and an extended distraction for police at weekends. However, with regard the last two points he said he believed the street wouldn’t be as loud, while he said less police would be needed.
Mark’s list of ‘pros’ were much more extensive. They included increased safety “as people will gradually go home before 3am” and because people will have a better chance of getting a taxi home, a reduced chance of fighting and street disturbances, safer drinking as people pace their drinking, and an increase in revenue for the establishments.
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