Update: Objection over marquee bar at Donegal Town Summer Festival is withdrawn

An objection lodged against an application for an occasional bar licence for a marquee at Donegal Town Summer Festival has been withdrawn.

Martin Cleary, the owner of Dom’s Pier 1, has said that having discussed the matter with representatives from McCafferty’s, who applied for the licence, any possible issues have been ironed out and everyone is now looking ahead to a busy weekend.

The annual festival takes place at the Pier, Donegal Town over three days, Friday to Sunday. 

Mr Cleary initially objected as he felt the marquee could obscure his entrance and that granting a licence would have a significant and detrimental impact on his trade for the festival weekend. 

The objection was lodged at Donegal Town District Court on Monday, where the matter was adjourned to Sligo District Court on Thursday, June 27, to be finalised ahead of the weekend festival. 

The application for the occasional licence was made by Brendan Maxwell, as nominee of Fanad Head Limited, the company which owns McCafferty’s Bar on the Diamond in Donegal Town. It applies to the following times: Friday from 6pm to 10pm, then Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 10pm.

When the objection was lodged, Cleary understood that the festival bar was going to be located at the side entrance of Dom’s Pier 1, potentially also blocking access to the back entrance. Additionally, this raised health and safety concerns over fire exits, as well as concerns over access to toilets. 

McCafferty’s has since given assurances that the placement of the festival bar will not impede access to Dom's Pier 1. 

'I am so pleased that this potential issue has now been resolved,” Cleary told DonegalLive.”The Festival is a great event for Donegal Town and our team is looking forward to the weekend.”