On the beer

myshirt

A famous party bar and ravers institution ran an event over Paddys weekend here in Dublin.

The party kicked off early, which is a feature of this promotion's selling points. But unlike London, you can't sell beer here in Ireland before noon. Even worse, you can't sell beer without a liquor license.

Instead, they carried out a raffle. But a different type of raffle. Every ticket was a winner in this raffle. And every prize was a big black bag of cans. Up to you what you done with your prize.

Music started pumping, and the cans were drank. Everytime you wanted more cans, there was a similar process, buy a raffle ticket at one counter, and get your cans at the next.

Is this legal ingenuity, or just plain idiocy?

Pro Hoc Vice

A special licence could have been sought by the venue. But the lotto idea would be illegal. It's not just sale of drink it's also supply (even free) can be a breach of the Acts.

Losty Dublin

myshirt wrote: »

A famous party bar and ravers institution ran an event over Paddys weekend here in Dublin.

The party kicked off early, which is a feature of this promotion's selling points. But unlike London, you can't sell beer here in Ireland before noon. Even worse, you can't sell beer without a liquor license.

Instead, they carried out a raffle. But a different type of raffle. Every ticket was a winner in this raffle. And every prize was a big black bag of cans. Up to you what you done with your prize.

Music started pumping, and the cans were drank. Everytime you wanted more cans, there was a similar process, buy a raffle ticket at one counter, and get your cans at the next.

Is this legal ingenuity, or just plain idiocy?

Pubs may legally serve from 10:30AM onwards on St. Patricks' Day; it's just off trade which commences at 12:30 on the day. About the raffle, as mentioned by Infosys it would be illegal without a permit under gaming laws. If the raffle was arranged as you mentioned, it could well be viewed as being a sale of alcohol which is illegal without a licence.

All in all, it sounds like a lot of hassle for the sake of people getting drunk before lunchtime.

coylemj

myshirt wrote: »

But unlike London, you can't sell beer here in Ireland before noon. Even worse, you can't sell beer without a liquor license.

Is this supposed to be some kind of measure of how far we have progressed in terms of human civilisation? I have no problem whatsoever living in a country where you can't buy alcohol from an off-licence before noon or even later.

If you want to go to the early opening pubs at 7 a.m. or drink in a regular pub after 10:30 a.m. I have no problem with that but most liquor purchased in off-sales early in the day tends to be consumed in public parks and on the side of the street by vagrants and alcoholics which most of us can do without.

TBH I'd close all off-licences for the whole day on Paddy's Day, it would make cleaning up the streets easier for the local authorities, esp. in Dublin. If people know in advance, they can stock up the day before as they do every Holy Thursday and Christmas Eve.

myshirt

@coylemj

It was meant to be a sarcastic comment.

To be frank with you, I for my part find that there is something unnerving about the efforts they went to here. But there you go. It's happening.