Kerry football legend and TV pundit Pat Spillane was awarded more than EUR19,500 after he took a court action against a former tenant of his pub for rent owed and repair work. Michael O'Connor had taken out a lease on the pub, 'Pat Spillane's Bar', in Templenoe, Co. Kerry in 2005 and had left it on his own accord in February 2008. Appearing before Tralee District Court yesterday, Mr O'Connor denied damage to property, saying he had left the pub in the state in which it had been given to him and had also carried out improvements during his tenure. He said business at the bar, which is located between Sneem and Kenmare, had suffered drastically because of the smoking ban and curbs on drink driving. The lease stipulated rent of EUR2,500 a month, which doubled during the busy tourist months of July and August. Mr Spillane, who is vice-principal of a secondary school in Bantry, Co. Cork and is also employed by RTE and the 'Sunday World' newspaper, had claimed more than EUR31,000 in rent and for 'restoration' of the premises. During the first year of the lease, Spillane said he would often visit the bar for a drink, but had stopped doing so because it was "a filthy, badly-run bar." He told the court that the 'Sunday World's' pub spy reporter received a lot of correspondence from customers claiming the bar was unhygienic. Judge Ray Fullam awarded EUR19,500 to Mr Spillane, plus costs. Tweet

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