What is the purpose behind the Good Friday "no drinking" law?

Foxhound38

I just don't get the thinking behind it - beyond the normal objections such as the fact that we are supposed to be a modern republic with a secular legal system, of what religious significance is a legally enforced sacrifice? Should we ban the sale of chocolate during Lent? Is there an objective reason as to why we do ban one on Good Friday and not the other on Lent?

Who is reponsible for keeping this archaic and nonsensical law on the books and why won't they get rid of it? Would there be any resistance to dropping it as such? I doubt even the Church would care that much - shur you can grab a pint a few meters away from the Vatican on Good Friday in Rome.

If catholics don't want to partake in the stuff, that's fine by me - why can't the rest of us?

Drakares

Ah this post again, bang on time.

Banjo String

No alcohol sales in Australia on good Friday either AFAIK

Gone Drinking

Every year without fail

For: ITS ONE DAY WITHOUT DE PUEB, FUKS SAKE

Against: WHY IZ DE CHURCH STILL TELLING UZ WOT 2 DO?

Alf. A. Male

Foxhound38 wrote: »

Who is reponsible for keeping this archaic and nonsensical law on the books

Anyone who opposes it but doesn't do anything about it, such as putting proper pressure on lawmakers and not just moaning about it for a week every year.

Leroy42

It is an old law based on the wishes of the church and the state were happy to maintain control over the populace.

There is no logic behind keeping it now, much like there was no logic to keeping the old Sunday trading laws etc.

Unlike Sunday trading, this only effects people once a year (twice if you include Christmas but that is even less of an issue) and therefore it remains purely because nobody is willing to put in the effort to change it.

It will be talked about his week, some people will say it needs to get done away with, the world will move on and everybody will have forgotten by next week.

krudler

This thread appearing every year is more reliable than any train in Ireland

TimeToShine

Purely to facilitate the creation of this thread.

Banjo String

I don't get the fuss about it anyway.

You want to get locked on good Friday? Buy booze on Thurs.

Rocket science it is not.

ballsymchugh

have any of the posters who started all these threads ever contacted their TD about this?

My name is URL

If catholics don't want to partake in the stuff, that's fine by me - why can't the rest of us?

You could ask the same about Christmas day, really... yet hardly anyone ever does. Why is that? =/

I personally don't care very much at all either way.

Mr.McLovin

What is the purpose behind these Good Friday drinking threads?

Leroy42

Banjo String wrote: »

I don't get the fuss about it anyway.

You want to get locked on good Friday? Buy booze on Thurs.

Rocket science it is not.

What if I don't want to get locked, but rather have a nice meal out with some friends with a nice bottle of red.

Seems on Good Friday that is a menace to the country and a law must be in place to avoid that.

What if, like many, I work on Good Friday (it not being a public holiday) and therefore want to start me weekend with a few drinks?

And if I do want to get locked on Friday, why should I have to do it on Thursday instead, why not either, or better yet, both?

Lapin

Drakares wrote: »

Ah this post again, bang on time.

It's actually over a week late.

Lapin

krudler wrote: »

This thread appearing every year is more reliable than any train in Ireland

Almost as reliable as the Poppy train in early November.

Foxhound38

Banjo String wrote: »

I don't get the fuss about it anyway.

You want to get locked on good Friday? Buy booze on Thurs.

Rocket science it is not.

It's an thoroughly unnecessary pain in the arse though. There wouldn't be moaning about it if there was any actual reason for it, but there isn't. If it was arbitrarily decided that the State would prevent you from putting petrol in your car for one day a year because of some ancient religious interpretation - would "fill up a few cannisters a day before, rocket science it is not" be good enough?

It's not even really about the booze, it's about an arbitrary restriction being put on the ordinary citizen for literally no good reason...

And that's without even getting into whether struggling pubs need to lose a day of business, especially a friday!

Pawwed Rig

It is for religious reasons. It still exists because noone has had the cop on to repeal it yet.

longhalloween

Leroy42 wrote: »

And if I do want to get locked on Friday, why should I have to do it on Thursday instead, why not either, or better yet, both?

Jesus wept, every fcuking year. You'd swear it was a new thing. People who complain about drink on a Good Friday are as bad as the ould wans complaining about the plastic bag levy.

Has ANYBODY on the repeal Good Friday side actually done anything constructive to get things changed?

Amirani

longhalloween wrote: »

People who complain about drink on a Good Friday are as bad as the ould wans complaining about the plastic bag levy.

I fail to see how they're in any way similar.

Foxhound38

longhalloween wrote: »

You may not be aware, but we have these things called OFF LICENCES, where you can legally buy drink they day before, and store it until Friday.

Jesus wept, every fcuking year. You'd swear it was a new thing.

People who complain about drink on a Good Friday are as bad as the ould wans complaining about the plastic bag levy.

But why should we HAVE to stock up the day before, in a secular country? What PURPOSE does the ban serve, and if it serves no purpose then why are we all still bound by it?

If the state arbitrarily decided that you couldn't buy petrol at the petrol station on a certain day each year, would "fill up a few cannisters the day before" be good enough as a workaround for you? Sure, it solves the problem, but it still doesn't address the question of why the arbitrary rule is there in the first place?

If we're planning our trading restrictions around religion now, how come my local newsagents isn't being prosecuted for selling chocolate these last few weeks?

longhalloween

Diego Simeone wrote: »

I fail to see how they're in any way similar.

Because it's been around for ages yet they still b*tch like they've never heard of it before, muttering under their breath stuff like "disgraceful, how ridiculous". Then they go home and do nothing about it.

Considering all the controversy with the Catholic Church, you'd think now would be the best time to get the law repealed. Has anyone got a petition or asked their TD to bring the matter to the Dáil?

Foxhound38 wrote: »

If the state arbitrarily decided that you couldn't buy petrol at the petrol station on a certain day each year, would "fill up a few cannisters the day before" be good enough as a workaround for you? Sure, it solves the problem, but it still doesn't address the question of why the arbitrary rule is there in the first place?

If that was the case then I'd get on to my TD about it, instead of polluting boards with this nonsense EVERY F*CKING YEAR.

Dyr

Lapin wrote: »

Almost as reliable as the Poppy train in early November.

They've been getting earlier every year

Presumably something to do with global warming

Amirani

longhalloween wrote: »

Because it's been around for ages yet they still b*tch like they've never heard of it before, muttering under their breath stuff like "disgraceful, how ridiculous". Then they go home and do nothing about it.

Okay, that's fair enough.

I terms of the laws themselves though, one clearly serves a purpose, the other doesn't.

Alf. A. Male

ballsymchugh wrote: »

have any of the posters who started all these threads ever contacted their TD about this?

I'll have a word with mine on Friday, during the lock-in at his pub.

the_syco

Of course it'll be a good Friday, as it's international HOUSE PARTY FRIDAY :P

TheChizler

What we need to do is keep this thread going past Easter this time, incorporate all the laws that are religiously inspired and no longer have a purpose, and do something about it! Leave people and businesses to exercise whatever restrictions they want as long as they're not discriminatory.

What other days can't drink be sold for religious reasons? Christmas Day?
There are other bizzare laws out there which are hangovers from the days the Church was afforded a special position in Irish law; a disproportionate punishment for selling unauthorised Mass cards for instance. It would be a good exercise in tidying up and removing archaic items from general legislation.

I Heart Internet

Alf. A. Male wrote: »

Anyone who opposes it but doesn't do anything about it, such as putting proper pressure on lawmakers and not just moaning about it for a week every year.

This!

The OP makes excellent points - especially about the merit of a legally enforced "sacrifice".

The government are responsible for licencing laws full-stop.

I have no problem with the current laws, as random as they are, but if you want change, talk to your TD.

mathie

Lapin wrote: »

It's actually over a week late.

So it is like the buses

smileyj1987

the_syco wrote: »

Of course it'll be a good Friday, as it's international HOUSE PARTY FRIDAY :P

Exactly if you want to drink buy cans on Thursday and have a steak with them .

castletownman

It's amazing that us Irish Catholics are up in arms for not being allowed to attend a pub for ONE day when Muslims all over the world take part in a month of fasting during the Ramadan without complaint. That's proper sacrifice for you too, none of this giving up chocolate during Lent sacrifice that we partake in to feel good about ourselves.

Kiwi in IE

Banjo String wrote: »

No alcohol sales in Australia on good Friday either AFAIK

I think the difference in Australia (NZ the same) is that it is a public holiday. Here it is not. On other public holidays at home (Christmas, Anzac Day) there are restrictions on alcohol too. Archaic and religious based it remains in AUS and NZ too I agree (particularly NZ where the majority of the population have no religion), however it seems incredibly bizarre here that it is an ordinary day but there is a law preventing people from purchasing a particular item because there is a religious restriction on consuming that item. I'd say the reason that there is no objection to Christmas is that it is a public holiday and shops/pubs are closed anyway. Also in NZ and I think Australia, the restriction applies only to pubs that don't serve food and takeaway alcohol, not restaurants or pubs with menus. So if you go out for a meal you can drink with it. Not sure is that the case here. Can you order a glass of wine if you go out for dinner on Good Friday. It is extremely silly and archaic, but if you want takeaway alcohol is easy enough to buy it on Thursday I suppose. More religious bullsh*t for sure, but not a huge inconvenience in real terms.

Amirani

castletownman wrote: »

It's amazing that us Irish Catholics are up in arms for not being allowed to attend a pub for ONE day when Muslims all over the world take part in a month of fasting during the Ramadan without complaint. That's proper sacrifice for you too, none of this giving up chocolate during Lent sacrifice that we partake in to feel good about ourselves.

We're not all Catholics. I don't see why it matters a damn what Muslims do to appease their invisible friends.

Foxhound38

castletownman wrote: »

It's amazing that us Irish Catholics are up in arms for not being allowed to attend a pub for ONE day when Muslims all over the world take part in a month of fasting during the Ramadan without complaint. That's proper sacrifice for you too, none of this giving up chocolate during Lent sacrifice that we partake in to feel good about ourselves.

What you Irish catholics decide to give up is your own concern - and fair play to ye if that's what ye want to do.

I am not catholic, and am under no moral obligation to partake in this arbitrary ritual. I am however under a legal obligation to do so, and I question why that is the case in an apparently modern republic.

I also question what significance a religious sacrifice could have spiritually for those who's religion this law is intended to reflect. After all, is choice not an integral part of legitimate sacrifice? Is it of any greater siginificance when that choice is substituted with a binding law that is imposed on all of us?

I Heart Internet

Foxhound38 wrote: »

What you Irish catholics decide to give up is your own concern - and fair play to ye if that's what ye want to do.

I am not catholic, and am under no moral obligation to partake in this arbitrary ritual. I am however under a legal obligation to do so, and I question why that is the case in an apparently modern republic.

I also question what significance a religious sacrifice could have spiritually for those who's religion this law is intended to reflect. After all, is choice not an integral part of legitimate sacrifice? Is it of any greater siginificance when that choice is substituted with a binding law that is imposed on all of us?

Have you spoken to your priest TD about this? They're the people with the power to change things.

Kiwi in IE

castletownman wrote: »

It's amazing that us Irish Catholics are up in arms for not being allowed to attend a pub for ONE day when Muslims all over the world take part in a month of fasting during the Ramadan without complaint. That's proper sacrifice for you too, none of this giving up chocolate during Lent sacrifice that we partake in to feel good about ourselves.

Many of those complaining are probably doing so because they are not Catholic and therefore do not want Catholic rituals forced upon them by the state.

Alf. A. Male

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

Many of those complaining are probably doing so because they are not Catholic

FYP

I Heart Internet

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

Many of those complaining are probably doing so because they are not Catholic and therefore do not want Catholic rituals forced upon them by the state.

The State isn't actually doing that. It is choosing to forbid the sale of (most not all) alcohol on a particular day. It's not forbidding its consumption or requiring any religious observance whatsoever.

I agree that it's quite random and there is no particular benefit to the state or religious people. There is some benefit to bar staff, and that's fair enough - if they actually want it/really benefit from it.

yeppydeppy

I've sent my annual email to my local TDs and I'm expecting the exact level of response I've had for the last few years - silence.

Riskymove

I Heart Internet wrote: »

The State isn't actually doing that. It is choosing to forbid the sale of (most not all) alcohol on a particular day. It's not forbidding its consumption or requiring any religious observance whatsoever.

it does however originate from a time when if you wanted a drink you generally had to go to a pub

the masses didn't have access to booze in shops or offies like today and didn't really often drink vino over a meal etc

Society and life has changed and so should this law

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057184690