We have no words for this story except: only in Ireland. A publican who was caught allowing “nuns” to drink on his premises after hours has been fined €700.

The Irish Independent reports that Christy Walsh from Listowel was first fined €200 for the offence at Listowel District Court, however he was fined a further €500 when he was caught allowing 30 “nuns” to drink after-hours again on the same night, following a charity event.

Now, we should probably mention that they weren’t actually real nuns. They were people dressed up as nuns who had taken part in Nunday last July (an attempt to get into the Guinness Book of Records by having the greatest number of people dressed as nuns in one place).

The “nuns” were caught in Mr Walsh’s pub the Well Bar celebrating their new world record and the fact that they had raised thousands of euro for Pieta House, the suicide prevention charity.

A picture from Nunday 2012 in Listowel

In court, Mr Walsh’s solicitor Maurice O’Sullivan told Judge Angela Ni Chonduin that he could plead his client could not refuse nuns but did not know if that would get him anywhere in terms of the law.

Mr Walsh was on the committe of the Nunday fundraising event/Guinness world record attempt.

“I’m disappointed with the fine, but it won’t stop me from doing charity work again,” said Mr Walsh.

In court he stated that those found on the premises had simply be waiting for taxis.