An sibin

THE most famous shebeen in the country is back doing a roaring trade despite two garda raids earlier this week.
Last night, drinkers in the Southill shebeen in Limerick city happily smoked and drank while they played pool, darts and cards.
The shebeen, which is nicknamed 'My Mother's', is run by Francis Kelly (33) from Lilac Court, Southill.
Mr Kelly explained that he is barred from every pub in Limerick, so he had to build his own place.
"Check with any of the pubs in town. I am barred out of every single one of them. This is my own private place, it is not a pub, it is my home and I am very proud of it," Mr Kelly said.
Security
A security camera guards the low entrance to the premises and the music of the Wolfe Tones greets all who enter.
The bar area can accommodate up to 50 people. The TV is equipped with all channels and a dart board, pool table and poker machine are also available.
"We all pool together and buy our own drinks from the off-licence. A slab costs us €23.99; a bottle of Heineken in the pub costs €5. It's common sense.
"We drink up here, there is no money changing hands, this is a private place. We have fridges, taps and gas for pints," Mr Kelly said.
"It is called 'My Mother's' as before any of the lads here who were getting hassle from their wives or girlfriends would get fed up and say they were off to their mother's. Now it has a different meaning," joked Francis.
The shebeen opened during Cheltenham race week and has been closed twice since by gardai.
An estimated €1,500 worth of stock was taken from the pub during the garda raids at the weekend.
"I resent the invasion by gardai and will be taking legal action against them and am applying to have my property returned to me. There is no hassle from anyone here and it is well run," added Mr Kelly, who is single.
Closing time
Closing time is called by Francis whenever he decides. "This is my home and I can have whoever I want inside here. We are here to stay and will not be treated any different."
"This was built by all the local lads here with free labour. It cost nothing and is our own private place. We can drink and smoke here as it is a private premises," Mr Kelly said.
A wheelchair-bound customer, Eddie Casey (70), who was yesterday enjoying a can of cider, is soon to be provided with a disabled toilet.
Plans are also in place to build a snug for people who "like a quiet drink" and punters soon hope to put a darts team together.
'My Mother's' was said to be very busy last night. Sitting in the corner, Southill men Les Dearman (59) and Mick Carey (42) said there was nowhere they'd rather be.
"I see it as a community centre. It is a place to meet and chat away with my friends," said Mr Dearman. Mr Carey said: "This is all a controlled environment and there is no hassle here."
It is understood that Francis Casey will be brought before Limerick District Court soon in connection with last weekend's garda raids.




Before you start reading a little background information. A sibín is an illegal bar in someone’s house. Limerick, aslo called Stab city, is Ireland’s most criminal city with several gangs fighting over several issues, the highest percentage of nackers (or people belonging to the travelling community as they should be called) and the highest illegal dissident IRA activity in Ireland. This highly explosive mix culminates into the most volatile explosive possible in Southill, a place so notorious even people in Cork’s Knocknaheeny or Dublin’s Ballymun are afraid to go there.
The estate is dived into 4 parks: Donagh O' Malley Park, John Carew Park, Keyes Park and Kincora Park of which O’Malley is the most dangerous.
O’Malley park is known troughout Ireland for being, and I quote one of the residents here,: “More dangerous than a gay party in a Bagdad Mosque”
Now enjoy reading ;)
A SHEBEEN was raided over the weekend and thousands of euros worth of alcohol was seized by gardai.
The illegal pub which was opened in a home in O'Malley Park, Southill, Limerick last month was raided by officers twice over the weekend.
It is understood the owner of the house charged patrons €40 to enter the property and avail of the bar service he had set up in the sitting room.
When the enterprising bartender believed that a customer had consumed his €40 worth of alcohol, the punter had to leave the premises and repay the entry fee if he wished to begin drinking inside again.
Pints were sold for a keenly priced €3.
Residents had been flocking to their neighbour's home since the shebeen opened last month. The bar was fully equipped with beer kegs, taps and gas cylinders to ensure good quality products.
Armed with search warrants, gardai from Roxboro Road station raided the shebeen on two occasions over the weekend.
A number of kegs, fridges and beer taps were seized. A sizeable amount of alcohol -- including spirits and beer -- was also recovered from the fully stocked bar.
One man was arrested for a breach of the peace during the raids.
Under the provision of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, any person suspected of selling alcohol without a licence can be arrested and any alcohol found in the shebeen can be seized.
A person convicted of illegally selling alcohol is likely to be fined.
O'Malley Park, on the city's southside, is home to 600 houses and is currently undergoing a major regeneration scheme.
It has been blighted by antisocial behaviour, and has been associated with the city's bloody feud.
For those who don’t know what a Sibin is:
Chiefly in Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Zimbabwe, a shebeen (Irish: sibín) is an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages are sold without a licence. In Namibia, such an establishment is known as a Cuca Shop.
In America, the word shebeen saw general use by Irish immigrants who worked in the anthracite patches of Pennsylvania. One of the leaders of the Molly Maguires was a shebeen-keeper, hanged in Scranton.
In South Africa and Zimbabwe, Shebeens are most often located in black townships as an alternative to pubs and bars, where during apartheid and the Rhodesian era, black Africans could not enter a pub or bar reserved for white Africans. Originally, shebeens were operated illegally, selling homebrewed alcohol and providing patrons with a gathering place where they could meet and discuss political and social issues. Often, patrons and owners were arrested by the police, though the shebeens were frequently reopened because of their importance in unifying the community and providing a safe place for discussion. [1] During the apartheid shebeens became a crucial place for activists to meet, some attracting lower class activists and community members, while others attracted lawyers, doctors and musicians. [2] Shebeens also provided music and dancing, allowing patrons to express themselves culturally, which eventually helped give rise and support the musical genre kwaito. [3] Currently, shebeens are legal in South Africa and have become an integral part of South African urban culture, serving commercial beers as well as Umqombothi, a traditional African beer made from millet. Sheebeens still form an important part of today’s social scene. In contemporary South Africa, they serve as a function similar to jook joints for African Americans in the rural south. They represent a sense of community, identity, and belonging. Today, they are legally operated and appeal to Africa’s youth, ages 18-24, mostly owned by men. Shebeens are bouncing back as South Africans try to preserve some of their rich cultural heritage. [4]Shebeens are a custom in the black community that will be passed on from one generation to the next, and like any custom they are susceptible to change in order to fit new lifestyles. [5] The word is of Irish origin, spelt síbín in Irish Gaelic, though its etymology is obscure.
The Shebeen was the name of the Rolling Stones backstage area, and it is the name of Keith Richards Lewis' Maltese.