Good Friday - no drink - acceptable now?

darkman2 · 20-03-2008 2:28am #1

Just wondering does anyone have a problem with not being able buy drink on Good Friday? I consider myself Catholic but think this is OTT. What do you think? Perhaps you think its good. Less thugs running around feulled on alcohol for one night?

AlmightyCushion · 20-03-2008 2:31am

It's pointless. If it had never happened it would be a normal Friday night where some people might go to the pub for a few or whatever. But because you can't drink everyone stocks up on booze the night before and gets extra wasted on good Friday.

Rb · 20-03-2008 2:32am

As far as I'm concerned, it's only one fcking night and if people can't go without for one night of the year, then they've a massive problem to address.

What's even more unfortunate is that people feel the need to go out and get absolutely bollocksed the next day, as if to make up for not being able to the day before.

I'm not aware of the reasons for the prohibition of alcohol for the day, or the background behind it, but I don't really care either. It's an idiot test as far as I'm concerned, and anyone who goes out the next day to make up for not being able to the night before deserves anything that happens to them.

dr.bollocko · 20-03-2008 2:33am

I dont want them catlics imposin their ideas of when and when not to drink on my athiest ass. Its actually really dumb. But think of the family run bar. Those poor people get two days off a year.

darkman2 · 20-03-2008 2:35am

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I dont want them catlics imposin their ideas of when and when not to drink on my athiest ass. Its actually really dumb. But think of the family run bar. Those poor people get two days off a year.

Yeah but Catholic or not you will notice a sharp run down in violence on Good Friday - surely that tells you something?

TestTransmission · 20-03-2008 2:42am

Got to spend last Good Friday in the pub,the majority of the pubs in Melbourne were closed but a few got exemptions.
Seeing as i was working in a pub at the time(one which was closed ).The management put on a staff party for us seeing as we had just dealt with paddy's day and the formula one...but imo,it's only one day,,,if ppl cant deal without the beer/pub for that day,they got a problem.

MrJoeSoap · 20-03-2008 2:43am

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's pointless. If it had never happened it would be a normal Friday night where some people might go to the pub for a few or whatever. But because you can't drink everyone stocks up on booze the night before and gets extra wasted on good Friday.

Lord graciously hear us.

I did my "stocking up" tonight and went a little extra crazy. TWELVE DUTCH!

MrJoeSoap · 20-03-2008 2:44am

darkman2 wrote: »

Yeah but Catholic or not you will notice a sharp run down in violence on Good Friday - surely that tells you something?

Please do expand, my alcohol-destroyed brain cannot grasp your implication!

IanCurtis · 20-03-2008 2:48am

Its something different I suppose.

Gives the bar staff a night off...where's the harm?

WoollyRedHat · 20-03-2008 2:48am

rb_ie wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned, it's only one fcking night and if people can't go without for one night of the year, then they've a massive problem to address.

What's even more unfortunate is that people feel the need to go out and get absolutely bollocksed the next day, as if to make up for not being able to the day before.

I'm not aware of the reasons for the prohibition of alcohol for the day, or the background behind it, but I don't really care either. It's an idiot test as far as I'm concerned, and anyone who goes out the next day to make up for not being able to the night before deserves anything that happens to them.

Agreed. It's one day out of the year, surely people can abstain for ONE day.

IanCurtis · 20-03-2008 2:50am

jackncoke wrote: »

Got to spend last Good Friday in the pub,the majority of the pubs in Melbourne were closed but a few got exemptions.
Seeing as i was working in a pub at the time(one which was closed ).The management put on a staff party for us seeing as we had just dealt with paddy's day and the formula one...but imo,it's only one day,,,if ppl cant deal without the beer/pub for that day,they got a problem.

All that just to tell us you were in Melbourne :rolleyes:

dsmythy · 20-03-2008 2:53am

It's one day folks. Deal with it. It's a quirk of Ireland. Tradition, even if the original point of it is lost. Besides it's the second long weekend in a row. You have Saturday, Sunday and even Monday to do what you gotta do.

MrJoeSoap · 20-03-2008 2:54am

IanCurtis wrote: »

Its something different I suppose.

Gives the bar staff a night off...where's the harm?

The bar staff don't work every single other night of the year...

The issue isn't that people can't go without it, it's that the pubs close for a Christian holiday in a supposedly secular state.

Voodu Child · 20-03-2008 2:56am

Im pretty sure if Jesus was still around he'd be getting locked with the best of 'em on Good Friday. He was a great man for the drink, turning fish into wine etc. It's sacrilegious i tells ya..

Mossy Monk · 20-03-2008 2:56am

Personally I am not bothered as I wont be drinking anyway but I do feel it is a stupid law. If pubs want to close then fine but leave the option of opening at least. As pointed out people get absolutely tanked at home because they cannot go out. The off license on Holy Thursday always resembles a war zone.

IanCurtis wrote: »

Its something different I suppose.

Gives the bar staff a night off...where's the harm?

God bless the bar staff who work every other single night of the year. They don't get any days off like the rest of us.

Orion · 20-03-2008 2:57am

rb_ie wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned, it's only one fcking night and if people can't go without for one night of the year, then they've a massive problem to address.

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Agreed. It's one day out of the year, surely people can abstain for ONE day.

It's nothing to do with abstaining. I abstain regularly (as in I don't drink every night) but I do have a problem with the church telling me when I can't drink or what I can eat. Dinner on Friday will be a huge big **** off steak with a gallon of good wine. And that'll be after a nice fry for breakfast and some snacks during the day - take that black fast!

So in answer to the OP - no it's not acceptable now. Ireland is no longer a purely Christian country and these out-dated laws should be repealed.

darkman2 wrote: »

Yeah but Catholic or not you will notice a sharp run down in violence on Good Friday - surely that tells you something?

Yeah - it tells me that the City Centre is shut down. The scum will make up for it the next day. One day off for them just recharges them.

MrJoeSoap · 20-03-2008 3:05am

voodoo_child wrote: »

He was a great man for the drink, turning fish into wine etc.

Brilliant

Holsten · 20-03-2008 3:05am

Makes no difference to me, only one day like.

I'll be drinking anyway at a mates gaf.

bitemybanger · 20-03-2008 3:06am

Im probably going to have a big kebeb or burger or some form of delicious meaty treat that i usualy treat myself to most Fridays and wash it down with a few cans i have stored in the fridge and probably forget its good Friday at all.

Naikon · 20-03-2008 3:10am

Macros42 wrote: »

It's nothing to do with abstaining. I abstain regularly (as in I don't drink every night) but I do have a problem with the church telling me when I can't drink or what I can eat. Dinner on Friday will be a huge big **** off steak with a gallon of good wine. And that'll be after a nice fry for breakfast and some snacks during the day - take that black fast!

So in answer to the OP - no it's not acceptable now. Ireland is no longer a purely Christian country and these out-dated laws should be repealed.

Yeah - it tells me that the City Centre is shut down. The scum will make up for it the next day. One day off for them just recharges them.

I agree with ya.
The church doesen't affect me anyway, why should they decide?

MrJoeSoap · 20-03-2008 3:12am

Holsten wrote: »

Makes no difference to me, only one day like.

I'll be drinking anyway at a mates gaf.

Drinking Holsten?

Lordsnutchi · 20-03-2008 4:51am

but jebus is alive and well at da top o connell straze

Fremen · 20-03-2008 5:10am

Agreed. It's one day out of the year, surely people can abstain for ONE day.

It's not a matter of whether we CAN or CAN'T, it's the fact that we're forced to for religious reasons: in my case, someone else's religious reasons.

If catholics don't want to drink on good friday, that's just fine. I don't think any of the "just one day" crowd would be too happy if we were forced to abstain on Hanukkah, or some day during ramadan.

Lordsnutchi · 20-03-2008 5:12am

its just archaic bs, look at the constitution, we still recognise jebus/god as our holy ruler

robby^5 · 20-03-2008 5:36am

Saying people have a problem if they cant abstain for ONE day has nothing to do with people not liking the fact that Catholic beliefs are imposed upon them and they cant go out for a drink on Good Friday.

Its absolutely nonsense in this day and age, and really only gives people an incentive to go out and buy and stock up on drink before Friday.

What if your 21st happened to be this Friday? little unfair no? I don't go out Friday nights, but its really not fair to people who would be out, and its also shít to say "deal with it its just for one day" when for a lot of people, its a night out they look forward to all week, I know when i was working full time in a really shít job I couldn't wait for Friday just to go out and do something!

Holsten · 20-03-2008 5:52am

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

Drinking Holsten?

Doubt it, althought whatever I'm drinking it will be out of a Holsten glass! :pac:

Terry · 20-03-2008 9:00am

I rarely go to the pub these days, so it doesn't bother me.
I have worked most of the good Friday's for the last ten years, so I wasn't going to drink then anyway. I'll be working tomorrow too.

In saying that, it is archaic.
It's a Catholic thing and that really has no place in modern Ireland.
I know some pub owners do support it, but I'm fairly certain that most would not like this being imposed upon them.

At the end of the day, if someone wants drink, they know how to get it.

In other news, I'm about to crack my fourth can.

chopperbyrne · 20-03-2008 9:03am

Is it actually illegal to sell alcohol tomorrow though or do pubs and off licenses just go with the status quo?

It would be very hard to prosecute someone based on religious reasons surely?

Terry · 20-03-2008 9:17am

It is illegal.

Certain places are exempt though.

Hotels can serve their patrons nad I think some restaurants have wine licences. Wine gives you a really bad hangover though.

Oh yeah, airports and train station bars.
Not sure about busaras.

Agent Smith · 20-03-2008 9:18am

I'm sure its in the Licence somewhere.

How about places Giving away Booze? like, buy a steak dinner, get 4 pints?

Nature Boy · 20-03-2008 9:19am

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Is it actually illegal to sell alcohol tomorrow though or do pubs and off licenses just go with the status quo?

It would be very hard to prosecute someone based on religious reasons surely?

Yes it is actually against the law.

I think this law is extremely dated and there should be no provisions in law for religious beliefs (except for one to allow people to practice them if they choose to).
I don't think that people who are not catholic should be forced to not drink on good Friday just cos some guy in a dress said it was wrong.

To anyone who said "We can live without drink for one day". Yes of course this is true but the point is that we shouldn't be forced not to on one particular day. Pubs should have a choice whether to open or close and people should have a choice to drink or not to drink.

And besides, what about meat? You're not supposed to eat meat on good Friday, why aren't restaurants (except vegetarian ones

) forced to close?

Good Friday - no drink - acceptable now?

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