Essay

Courthouse — or public house?

By Mike Dwane

According to national stereotypes, the Germans are the world's most industrious people, the French are the greatest lovers and the Irish are the world's best -- or worst -- drunks.

It's true that among our best-known exports are Guinness beer and Jameson whiskey, but the image of Ireland as a nation of alcoholics is one we have been trying to shake off.

So it didn't help when last month a glamorous New Yorker was brought before an Irish court that was sitting in a pub!

She was the jewellery designer Jenny Lauren. Her uncle is also in the fashion industry. Perhaps you have heard of Ralph Lauren?

Jenny Lauren had boarded a flight in Barcelona destined for New York, but she and over 200 of her fellow passengers had been forced to divert to my local airport, Shannon.

Shannon handles only around 1.5 million passengers a year compared to over 60 million at Haneda. But it is the westernmost airport in Europe and this means that Shannon has an important role to play in technical and medical diversions. Any time a passenger falls ill or an engine fails over the north Atlantic, Shannon prepares for an emergency landing to take the passenger to hospital or repair the aircraft.

The same applies in cases of air rage -- and this is what brought Jenny Lauren before an Irish judge.

Having mixed alcohol with her medication, the designer had pushed one cabin attendant and swore at another crew member and a pilot. The flight was diverted to Shannon, where she was arrested by the Irish police.

Word got out that Ralph Lauren's niece was due to appear in court the following day and all of a sudden the BBC and The New York Times wanted the case covered.

Because the accused person lived thousands of miles away, her case had become a priority and the police wanted to bring her before the first available court sitting. Usually, the judge moves around the district, sitting in one village on Monday, another town on Tuesday, and so on.

It just so happened that the next sitting was in a tiny village called Killaloe. But because the courthouse there is being renovated, the judge sits every Wednesday in a local pub rented out by the Department of Justice! No alcohol is served while the court is in session, I should add.

What an irony it must have been for Jenny Lauren who, having sobered up, was brought to a pub to answer for her crime!

She was fined and returned to the United States, while The New York Times and the BBC reported that in Ireland even the administration of justice revolves around the local bar!

裁判所兼パブ？

アイルランド人は世界一の酔っ払いと言われる。国民としてはこのイメージは払拭したいのに、先月、ある有名人が起こした事件は、酔っ払い大国のイメージを強めることとなってしまった。

The Japan Times ST: February 21, 2014