The owner of NuBar has defended his decision to introduce an entrance charge of two euro in to the student bar on Tuesday nights.
NuBar owner Vincent McNelis said the entrance fee was brought in to cover the cost of security in order to ensure respect for residents in the area and for the safety of students.
“It is strictly there so that we can make sure of the safety of the students and for the respect for neighbours in the area,” said McNelis in an interview with DCUFM’s Newswire.
Nubar received complaints from residents concerning noise levels and the behaviour of students while walking home from the student bar.
“The issue is not the night. The rowdiness isn’t in the night. The rowdiness happens afterwards. It’s when they’re going home. With the good weather, people are hanging around houses,” said McNelis.
“The only way to remedy this is to put extra security on. So, we walk the students home. We walk to Shanowen. We hang around. The only thing we’re not doing is tucking people in and giving them hot chocolate.”
While there are student volunteers helping to bring students home, McNelis insists that there are qualified security staff to accompany the volunteers.
The charge was well-received by students, according to McNelis.
“Four complaints is all we had,” he said. “Once people were explained to, what we were doing it for, they had no problem with it.”
McNelis also defended the price of the entrance charge, saying “where would you get a night like that for two euros?”
Between five and six hundred students are in NuBar on a Tuesday night, according to McNelis, meaning up to €1,200 could be made from the entrance charge alone.
The bar will close at the earlier time of midnight on Tuesdays from now on.
Laura Colgan
Image credit: Anna Kazadojeva
Leave a Reply