Maggie Choo’s Pub Limerick City Centre

This has to be the most racist place in the city. The guards at the door will outrightly say “No, you cannot enter because you must have a booking” and as soon as you even mention you have a table reserved, they have the audacity to say “Oh, you cannot enter because we have the right to say no to you”. Meanwhile, every other Irish or white person will be walking past you into the pub, with no questions asked at all as you’re being humiliated at the door.

It is okay to not feel welcomed in a different country but denying you a simple experience like enjoying a drink, a meal or even attending a friend’s birthday simply because you are a person of colour or non-Irish is absolutely absurd. It actually hurts to see it happen and experience it first hand every now and then. Never thought it would be so difficult to get into a place to just have a meal because you’re a different race. You could literally be born here but just because you appear to be non-Irish, they will treat you like trash.

This is an Establishment That Hides Behind "Selective Entry" While Appearing to Tolerate Racism

I never thought I'd have to write a review like this, but after last night, I can't stay quiet anymore.

Maggie Choo's is, unfortunately, the only place in Limerick where I've repeatedly walked away feeling like I was treated differently because of the colour of my skin.

This wasn't the first time. In fact, it's the third time my friends and I have been refused entry, and every single time it's been by the same security staff member. The excuses keep changing. One time it was because we supposedly weren't dressed appropriately. Ironically, after a friend who knew the manager spoke to him, the manager came out and let us in. Last night we were told we needed a reservation. We actually had one, but the moment we showed it, the excuse changed again to "management reserves the right to refuse entry."

I completely understand that every venue has the right to refuse entry. That's not the issue. The issue is when that right seems to be applied differently depending on who is standing at the door.

We were respectful, calm, well dressed, and simply looking forward to enjoying our evening. Meanwhile, people were being allowed in right before us and right after us. From where we stood, the only obvious difference was the colour of our skin.

What makes this even more confusing is that I've been to Maggie Choo's on my own and with Irish friends before and never had a problem. That's why it's hard not to question whether this is the behaviour of one particular door staff member or whether it's something the business is willing to tolerate.

I genuinely hope management takes this seriously because no one should be made to feel unwelcome or less deserving because of their race. Everyone deserves to be treated with the same respect.

This was a really disappointing experience, and I will be following it up with management. I hope no one else has to leave feeling the way we did.

It is absolutely disgraceful that the door staff at this venue continue to act based on purely discriminatory and racist criteria.

I experienced this firsthand a while ago when they tried to refuse me entry to a friend's birthday party for no reason at all. They only backed down when she came outside to intervene, but even then, the bouncer demanded that I take off a chain I was wearing. A clear sign of prejudice against someone for being Latino and brown-skinned.

Last night, the exact same thing happened: for the eighth or ninth time, they refused entry to a friend of mine. The staff's excuse was that the club was full; however, I was already inside and I know for a fact that wasn't true. My friend wasn't under the influence of alcohol, he was dressed appropriately, and he only arrived later because he was coming straight from work. Despite being with a female friend, they were flatly denied entry while other people were being let in without any issue.

There is no other explanation for this differential treatment than discrimination based on skin colour or nationality. It is high time we stopped staying silent about this kind of abuse.