Pub closing times Thursday night

Mona Olsen · 16-04-2014 11:18am #1

Not sure if this is the right place to post this....
Anyway, what's the deal with pub/club closing times on Thursday night?
I had plans to go for drinks with a friend but didn't think of the Good Friday issue. Does everywhere still close at midnight Thursday, and then open again midnight Friday night?

Losty Dublin · 16-04-2014 11:48am

Mona Olsen wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place to post this....
Anyway, what's the deal with pub/club closing times on Thursday night?
I had plans to go for drinks with a friend but didn't think of the Good Friday issue. Does everywhere still close at midnight Thursday, and then open again midnight Friday night?

Last drinks served at 11:30, reopening on Saturday daytime. Pubs may open on Friday to sell food and soft drinks

oblivious · 16-04-2014 12:06pm

Also BYO is prohibited too under the law

Seaneh · 16-04-2014 12:09pm

oblivious wrote: »

Also BYO is prohibited too under the law

I've been looking at the statute book in relation to this and I can't find where it's prohibited under the law, so it must be a condition of the licenses themselves.
Either way, it's daft.

oblivious · 16-04-2014 12:10pm

Seaneh wrote: »

I've been looking at the statute book in relation to this and I can't find where it's prohibited under the law, so it must be a condition of the licenses themselves.
Either way, it's daft.

Maybe be

oblivious · 16-04-2014 12:17pm

Here is why BYO is prohibited

From the RAI http://www.rai.ie/news-easter-trading-hours--byob-details-215.html

Bring your own Bottle to a Licensed Premises on Good Friday:
Section 2 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1927 as amended prevents the sale, exposure for sale or to permit any intoxicating liquor to be consumed on Licensed premises at any time during prohibited hours. Good Friday is covered by the prohibited hours ban which therefore prohibits the possibility of bringing your own bottle to a Licensed Premises on Good Friday. You can still open on Good Friday and serve food but no alochol can be consumed or brought to the premises for consumption on Good Friday.

BeerNut · 16-04-2014 12:20pm

It's in the Statute Book here.

it shall not be lawful for any person to sell or expose for sale any intoxicating liquor, or to open or keep open any premises for the sale of intoxicating liquor, or to permit any intoxicating liquor to be consumed on licensed premises—

(a) at any time on Christmas Day or Good Friday;

Mona Olsen · 16-04-2014 12:58pm

Gah!! That's annoying. It's not Good Friday itself I wanted to go out, it's Thursday - looks like it'll be an early night then.
Interesting about the BYO, as I know one restaurant at least advertising BYO on Friday.
Does the law prohibit opening at midnight Good Friday - as I've seen that done before as well!

dodzy · 16-04-2014 12:59pm

Hotel residents - CHECK
Greyhound racing - CHECK
Train Stations with valid ticket - CHECK
Limerick residents on CUP final day - CHECK
Multiple Lock-ins the length and breath of the country - CHECK
Anywhere else in Europe - NO

Used to be Paddys Day also, up until the 60s AFAIR.

Its a f..king joke. And no, I'm not an alco.

Creamy Goodness · 16-04-2014 1:02pm

dodzy wrote: »

Its a f..king joke. And no, I'm not an alco.

it's a joke that our country's laws are bound so tightly to a religion that worships a sky fairy, but on the other hand it's nice for those who work in the trade to have some days off (banks etc have holidays why can't the pub/off sales have them too).

I'll be working through my stash if I'd like to have a drink on Friday no biggie.

and no, i'm not an alco, and no, i'm not in the trade

Losty Dublin · 16-04-2014 1:54pm

Mona Olsen wrote: »

Does the law prohibit opening at midnight Good Friday - as I've seen that done before as well!

Yes it does and it covers Nightclubs as well, contrary to popular belief. Some have flouted it and have been raided as well.

oblivious · 16-04-2014 2:23pm

Mona Olsen wrote: »

Interesting about the BYO, as I know one restaurant at least advertising BYO on Friday.

Restaurant association of Ireland have it clearly stated and I would be surprised if they have not reminded their members. Hard to please ignorance if they are caught

Seaneh · 16-04-2014 3:27pm

oblivious wrote: »

Here is why BYO is prohibited

From the RAI http://www.rai.ie/news-easter-trading-hours--byob-details-215.html

So if a restaurant isn't a licenced premises they CAN do BYOB?

Like, there are a lot of restaurants who don't sell any alcohol, they only do BYOB, can they do BYOB on good friday?

BeerNut · 16-04-2014 3:30pm

Seaneh wrote: »

So if a restaurant isn't a licenced premises they CAN do BYOB?

That's certainly my reading of it, but YMMV.

Seaneh · 16-04-2014 3:34pm

BeerNut wrote: »

That's certainly my reading of it, but YMMV.

Interesting...

I'll be in Wales on friday anyway so it's not really going to affect me in any way this year, just something I've been wondering about this week.

If I was in Galway or Athlone this friday I'd be booking a table at High Cafe and bring a few 700ml bottles of something nice like White Gyspy's American Pale Ale to wash down a nice lamb tagine.

irish_goat · 16-04-2014 5:43pm

We get 5 hours of pub time on Good Friday up here but then the bars have to close at 10pm on Easter Sunday. :rolleyes:

oblivious · 16-04-2014 7:48pm

BeerNut wrote: »

That's certainly my reading of it, but YMMV.

Yes it a potential loop hole

, I presume "licenced" refers to alcohol sales and not just a restaurant one??

rubadub · 17-04-2014 11:52am

Seaneh wrote: »

, there are a lot of restaurants who don't sell any alcohol,

Do these places not need some sort of licence though? like to they have to be recognized somehow?

e.g. a chipper near me has seats inside so you can sit & eat there, so I guess it needs the same permits or whatever as a normal restaurant or cafe. In which case could this chipper just announce its a BYOB venue and let people drink there tomorrow? you would think some place would take advantage of this and just be BYOB whenever suits.

Some bowling alleys are BYOB, I saw one saying it was BYOB on good friday a few years ago, but now are saying BYOB is all fridays except good friday. Not sure if they normally sell drink.

BeerNut · 17-04-2014 1:20pm

rubadub wrote: »

you would think some place would take advantage of this and just be BYOB whenever suits.

I would not. I suspect I would have enough trouble with drunk idiots without them hanging around inside my chipper getting drunker.

rubadub · 17-04-2014 3:40pm

BeerNut wrote: »

I suspect I would have enough trouble with drunk idiots without them hanging around inside my chipper getting drunker.

I am not necessarily thinking of the chipper, just thinking "some place" could take advantage.

If a chipper did do it right though they could get amazing free media coverage/advertising, people love a good story like that.

I expect they would just do whatever normal unlicenced BYOB restaurants do if people are out of hand.

It seems you could open up an establishment which is in effect an unlicenced pub. Like if some pub was closed down you hear of them losing the licence or selling it on or whatever. So you could buy a pub with no licence and just have a cover charge and have it as a BYOB venue. Have barmen/waiters bringing you your own drinks from a fridge. Someone I know was in some restaurant and brought in vodka & a 2L of coke and they were filling the glasses with ice & lemon for them, and keeping it in the fridge, just like a normal place.

BeerNut · 17-04-2014 3:46pm

rubadub wrote: »

So you could buy a pub with no licence and just have a cover charge and have it as a BYOB venue.

There's no way it would be economically viable without charging for something else.

Saltlick is a restaurant that pretty much does this -- you bring your own spirits and they make them into cocktails for you.

Losty Dublin · 17-04-2014 4:52pm

If BYOD is a small part of the business then perhaps, yes. If it becomes the prime attraction for "some place" does it business then complaints will flow in and notably from local bars, cafes and neighbours; there may be planning permission issues if a change of use of the premises is considered to have happened.

rubadub wrote: »

I am not necessarily thinking of the chipper, just thinking "some place" could take advantage.

If a chipper did do it right though they could get amazing free media coverage/advertising, people love a good story like that.

I expect they would just do whatever normal unlicenced BYOB restaurants do if people are out of hand.

It seems you could open up an establishment which is in effect an unlicenced pub. Like if some pub was closed down you hear of them losing the licence or selling it on or whatever. So you could buy a pub with no licence and just have a cover charge and have it as a BYOB venue. Have barmen/waiters bringing you your own drinks from a fridge. Someone I know was in some restaurant and brought in vodka & a 2L of coke and they were filling the glasses with ice & lemon for them, and keeping it in the fridge, just like a normal place.

rubadub · 17-04-2014 5:31pm

BeerNut wrote: »

There's no way it would be economically viable without charging for something else.

Depends on how high the cover charge is. I remember some pubs were doing high cover charges on new years eve before, and I think it was free drink from then on.

In my vodka example it was 2 women splitting a bottle. In my local I think a vodka is 3.85, and a 200ml coke is 2.80. A bottle is 19.7 measures, and the 2L is 10 pub bottles. So that is 19.7*3.85+10*2.80=€103.84 in the pub. In tesco right now smirnoff is €18, and 2L of coke is €1.50 (well 2 for €3). So that's a €84.34 difference, so if the cover charge was €40 they could possibly view that as making a saving.

Many people are totally blind to the the price differences, it might really open their eyes. In other threads I have heard of publicans moaning that they are paying €35 for a box of heineken bottles. They could in theory be more profitable than a similar pub next door, who have the same amount of customers drinking the same amounts -i.e. they have the cover charge set just right to attract the BYOB, the person missing out on the lost money is the person who usually creaming it in, be it the brewery or the distributor who is charging outrageous prices to the pub, who then usually pass it on.

I see bray bowling alley do a BYOB night, only €10 with free bowling, pool & arcades, this is on thursday & saturday and on the thursday the €10 gets you into a some other nightclub in bray.

I know guys who could have up to 20 bottles in a long night (which is 11.6pints), it can be 5.50 a bottle, while they could be got as low as 75cent on offer. €95 difference there, now 20 is a lot, but still under 6 pints worth and the saving is €47.50.

Losty Dublin wrote: »

If it becomes the prime attraction for "some place" does it business then complaints will flow in and notably from local bars, cafes and neighbours; there may be planning permission issues if a change of use of the premises is considered to have happened.

Fair point. This is why starting a venture like this in a premises which was previously a pub would probably be best. I think I heard Weirs pub in dun laoghaire had no licence when being sold, dunno if it was transferred or something.

noby · 17-04-2014 5:44pm

I've missed rubadub's maths lessons, but set a cover charge of forty quid into a BYOD venue and it'll be like a ghost town.

rubadub · 17-04-2014 5:55pm

noby wrote: »

I've missed rubadub's maths lessons, but set a cover charge of forty quid into a BYOD venue and it'll be like a ghost town.

I think so too, I was just showing the figures, problem is people do not realise they are overpaying to the tune of €40, thats why I even used the term "they could possibly view that as making a saving" -I know most would think WTF €40! when in reality it could be a saving. It would really open peoples eyes. I think the new years eve places were a cover of €50.

Most just refuse to do the maths, perhaps not liking to have it spelt out how much they are paying over the odds.

I don't think they would have to charge €40 to be as profitable as they would be as a normal pub.

some complaints about cheap drink
http://www.meas.ie/assets/CodeOfPracticeReports/MEAS-5th-Code-Report.pdf

An advertisement on Genesis’ Facebook page states the
following:
“Host: Genesis Nightclub
Type: Party – Club Party
Price: €20 ADMISSION FREE DRINK ALL NITE!!!
Start Time: Wednesday, 16 September 2009 at 23:30
End Time: Thursday, 17 September 2009 at 02:30
Location: GENESIS NITECLUB (BESIDE AIT)
Town/City: Athlone, Ireland
Phone: 0906472070
Email: genesisniteclub@hotmail.com”
The complainant has alleged that the drinks promotion
advertised by Genesis Niteclub encourages illegal or
irresponsible drinking

The Panel noted that on paying an entry fee of €20 to
Genesis Nightclub ‘all drinks are for free for the night.
No limits and the offer is on all products! You’d be mad
to miss it.’

So they were presumably still expecting to be profitable with a cover charge of just €20, and its not even BYOB.

Losty Dublin · 17-04-2014 6:17pm

rubadub wrote: »

http://www.meas.ie/assets/CodeOfPracticeReports/MEAS-5th-Code-Report.pdf

.

OT on the topic in hand but I noticed that both Diageo and Heineken filed complaints about the other

Rum Sodomy and Lash · 17-04-2014 6:30pm

Point (pint?) has probably been raised already but if 'Good' Friday extends into the early hours of Saturday because it is the same day for licensing purposes, then why do places have to close at midnight on Thursday night? Surely that is twisting the same logic two ways?

rubadub · 17-04-2014 7:02pm

Rum Sodomy and Lash wrote: »

then why do places have to close at midnight on Thursday night?

They call the thursday the eve of good friday.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2000/en/act/pub/0017/sec0003.html

“(1) Save as otherwise provided by this Act, it shall not be lawful for any person to sell or expose for sale any intoxicating liquor, or to open or keep open any premises for the sale of intoxicating liquor, or to permit any intoxicating liquor to be consumed on licensed premises—

(a) at any time on Christmas Day or Good Friday;

(b) on any other day, as specified hereunder, outside the times so specified in respect of it—

(i) Saint Patrick's Day: between 12.30 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. on the following day;

(ii) the 23rd December: if it falls on a Sunday, between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 p.m.;

(iii) Christmas Eve and the eve of Good Friday: between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 p.m.;

(iv) the eve of any public holiday (other than Christmas Eve):

(I) if the eve falls on a weekday, between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 a.m. on the following day, or

(II) if it falls on a Sunday, between 12.30 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. on the following day;

(v) any other Sunday (except a Saint Patrick's Day which falls on a Sunday): between 12.30 p.m. and 11.00 p.m.;

(vi) any other Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday: between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 p.m.; and

(vii) any other Thursday, Friday or Saturday: between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 a.m. on the following day.

(1A) The hours specified in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) in respect of any day specified in that paragraph are in addition to the period between midnight and 12.30 a.m. on that day where that period is included in the hours so specified in respect of the eve of that day.

Fibber magees are supposed to be open at 11.30 on good friday, serving soft drinks, and serving alcohol after 12.

quadrifoglio verde · 17-04-2014 7:07pm

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

it's a joke that our country's laws are bound so tightly to a religion that worships a sky fairy, but on the other hand it's nice for those who work in the trade to have some days off (banks etc have holidays why can't the pub/off sales have them too).

I'll be working through my stash if I'd like to have a drink on Friday no biggie.

and no, i'm not an alco, and no, i'm not in the trade

Are you implying that barmen only get 2 days holidays a year?
Get away out of that.
They're entitled to their x amount of days off, just like all other workers are in every sector of society. Ive yet to meet someone who works every day of the year as an employee.

Rum Sodomy and Lash · 17-04-2014 7:21pm

rubadub wrote: »

They call the thursday the eve of good friday.

Fibber magees are supposed to be open at 11.30 on good friday, serving soft drinks, and serving alcohol after 12.

But I thought places were not allowed to serve at midnight on Friday since up until 1.30am or whatever is considered to still be the same licensing period/day.

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Are you implying that barmen only get 2 days holidays a year?
Get away out of that.
They're entitled to their x amount of days off, just like all other workers are in every sector of society. Ive yet to meet someone who works every day of the year as an employee.

Agreed. And besides, barwork isn't exactly a spectacularly paid job, when I did it I was grateful of the hours and didn't particularly appreciate missing out on 1/3rd of my wages for the weekend. Especially since it's not as if I could make full use of my rare Friday off anyway :rolleyes:

rubadub · 17-04-2014 7:35pm

Rum Sodomy and Lash wrote: »

But I thought places were not allowed to serve at midnight on Friday since up until 1.30am or whatever is considered to still be the same licensing period/day.

The last line in that legal quote might be explaining something, my head is melting trying to understand what they mean!

also fibbers might have some other licence, I have not been there in a very long time, but remember that when you paid in you were entitled to food with your ticket. I think this was some trick where they would say they were serving food and so could get some different sort of licence, or something along those lines.

but on the other hand it's nice for those who work in the trade to have some days off

my friend is a barman who was laid off, I know another who was worried for his job. If I was a barman I would totally welcome a repeal of this ludicrous law. The friday night before a bank holiday monday would be one of the pubs most profitable nights of the year, the same guy was telling me how much they rake in on a christmas eve and new years, missing out could be the decider on a place having to let someone go. Many people will go visit family on the sunday so would probably prefer friday over the saturday night. Also many people are forced to take good friday off out of their holiday allowance, with little to do, so its not even like a regular friday where many will not head out as they have just finished work.

You hear crap like "oh the publicans can get the place done up", I think they would much rather be shut down on easter monday or the tuesday, when it would not have been busy. And some others suggested they would prefer it as they are all closed the same day -I really doubt this, if there are 2 rival pubs in one town and they decided to shut down once a year they would be idiots to do it on the same day, even if the owners hated each other they would see the mutual benefit of the gain in custom on the day the other guy closes down.

Pub closing times Thursday night

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