Should the Good Friday Alcohol Ban be extended?

Foxhound38

Just so I can watch the Irish nation go into an even more hilarious apocalyptic nervous breakdown at the thought of being unable to access a public house for more than 24 hours. One of the greatest sights in Irish society, on a par with the migration of the emperor penguins, is surely the mass panic buying of alcohol on Holy Thursday and the fact that paradoxically and consequently the whole nation is never as drunk as on Good Friday.

snubbleste

Say NO to Drugs

VinLieger

Its 2 days out of 365 that the vintners don't get to push their rip off pricing on us, if they hadnt tried to screw us through the minimum pricing muck as well I might agree but now they just want their cake and to eat it too.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Yeah, extend it to include Christmas Day sure.
Jesus would love that, not being able to buy Cans on his birthday

mad muffin

As someone who has a take it or leave it attitude towards alcohol. It wouldn't bother me one little bit, if total prohibition was introduced.

Rubberchikken

it wouldn't affect me one way or the other if ther was no alcohol so i'll say yes to keeping ireland dry on good friday;)

seriously the way people go on about it. have they nothing better to whine about?

c_man

mad muffin wrote: »

As someone who has a take it or leave it attitude towards alcohol. It wouldn't bother me one little bit, if total prohibition was introduced.

Lol, if you're a taxpayer I bet you would.

MonkeyTennis

did you say wine? Where?

lertsnim

Pubs should be allowed to open whenever they want. Restrictions on sales of alcohol do nothing but encourage binge drinking.

iDave

Doesn't bother me that the pubs are closed but dont like how the choice is taken from me to suit religious types.
The sight of people stocking up on watery tasteless beer like Carlsberg or Heineken on the Thursday is truly pathetic though.

valoren

If Good Friday completely skipped your mind, and you realise that you have no booze for one measly day.

If that situation induces any kind of panic then you probably have a drinking problem.

kfallon

Ah here we haven't even had the "Will you eat meat on Ash Wednesday" or the "What are you giving up for Lent" threads yet and you've gone and bypassed them all and headed straight for the Good Friday clusterfúck!!

mad muffin

c_man wrote: »

Lol, if you're a taxpayer I bet you would.

Lucky for me then that I'm not…

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

VinLieger wrote:

Its 2 days out of 365 that the vintners don't get to push their rip off pricing on us, if they hadnt tried to screw us through the minimum pricing muck as well I might agree but now they just want their cake and to eat it too.

Removing people's choice is a crock of poo. If alcohol was sold on good Friday, I'd say less would be sold.

mzungu

kfallon wrote: »

Ah here we haven't even had the "Will you eat meat on Ash Wednesday" or the "What are you giving up for Lent" threads yet and you've gone and bypassed them all and headed straight for the Good Friday clusterfúck!!

Tis a bit like Christmas, it starts earlier every year.

ghostdancer

lertsnim wrote: »

Pubs should be allowed to open whenever they want. Restrictions on sales of alcohol do nothing but encourage binge drinking.

yep, i'd say far more people drink on Holy Thursday/Good Friday than otherwise would if the pubs were open.

masti123

I actually like the ban. It really has become national house party day. So many house parties happening in one night, its great craic.

RobertKK

The ban only affects those who sell alcohol, and those who drink too much alcohol and are totally out of their mind to know when it is Good Friday.
They are the only ones who need the Good Friday ban lifted, the rest of the nation can cope fine.

rubadub

mad muffin wrote: »

As someone who has a take it or leave it attitude towards alcohol. It wouldn't bother me one little bit, if total prohibition was introduced.

I don't drink wine, but it would bother me hugely if even just wine was prohibited. I actually do give a shit about my friends & family & others, and would not to see them have to go without due to some ridiculous law. And also the tax issue, people turning to smuggled booze and/or other untaxed recreactional drugs would mean other taxes would have to rise.

mzungu wrote: »

Tis a bit like Christmas, it starts earlier every year.

it was in the news today, I think mainly due to 1916 commemorations and more tourists.

Antar Bolaeisk

They should extend it to include shops on Stephen's day.

podgemonster

How much money is lost each year when visiting tourists for the Easter weekend arrive in Dublin/Cork/Galway. I see them every year strolling round Temple Bar peering in the pub windows trying to figure out who died to warrant this public Day of mourning.

222233

Why would pubs be closed on Good Friday in the first place, don't see how it would affect anyone else if you don't want to drink just go to mass and stay home let everyone else live as they so please.

The_Valeyard

I'd extend the ban, just to annoy the atheists. See them go absolutely mental.

murpho999

RobertKK wrote: »

The ban only affects those who sell alcohol, and those who drink too much alcohol and are totally out of their mind to know when it is Good Friday.
They are the only ones who need the Good Friday ban lifted, the rest of the nation can cope fine.

It makes the country look backward and under the cosh of the church.

Tourists who don't want to go on the p1ss like Irish but can't get a glass of wine with a meal. It's ridiculous.

Religious doctrines should not be forced on the masses by a secular state (which Ireland is supposed to be).
If Catholics don't want to drink that day then don't be but let those who don't believe in it do what they want.

Birdie Num Num

rubadub wrote: »

it was in the news today, I think mainly due to 1916 commemorations and more tourists.

Ridiculous argument by the Vintners. Off licence drink sales are huge as a result of the restriction on Good Friday and they don't like it.

kfallon

podgemonster wrote: »

How much money is lost each year when visiting tourists for the Easter weekend arrive in Dublin/Cork/Galway. I see them every year strolling round Temple Bar peering in the pub windows trying to figure out who died to warrant this public Day of mourning.

And they get cheap flights over Friday morning, returning Saturday afternoon and they think it's a bargain. Then they get here and realise why they flights were so cheap for Good Friday!

sdanseo

Two sides to this one; on the one hand it's a bit pathetic that people panic-buy alcohol on the Thursday but on the other hand it's obscene that the Catholic Church can continue to dictate the policy of when pubs and off licences are allowed to open.

The vintners would have you believe that when events fall on Good Friday (and many do, a European Rugby final for example) and people can't enjoy a few beers in the pub before and after they lose out hugely. This shouldn't be the case really.

rubadub

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

They should extend it to include shops on Stephen's day.

What about st brigids day? or st columba? they are seemingly more important than stephen. and what about all the other holy days, there are loads of them.

The_Valeyard wrote: »

I'd extend the ban, just to annoy the atheists. See them go absolutely mental.

yeah, all non-athiests, no matter what religion they are (or not) have no issue with this fucked up law :rolleyes:

Birdie Num Num

Blaze Low Visibility wrote: »

Removing people's choice is a crock of poo. If alcohol was sold on good Friday, I'd say less would be sold.

Totally agree

222233

The_Valeyard wrote: »

I'd extend the ban, just to annoy the atheists. See them go absolutely mental.

I'm an atheist and I don't care what the holy people do on good friday, I personally don't go out on Fridays so the law doesn't affect me, I can quite happily drink at home.

None the less we should also ban working on Sundays I think thats supposed to be a thing too, then we also need to consider Sharia Law, Jewish practices etc etc..

pawrick

Most of the day time tourists I've come across in Dublin tend to have one or 2 drinks and that's it for the day any other weekend. It would be great if the pubs continued to do live music and made their premises family friendly for the day if they want the business but it's easier to dish out pints for them.

I'm all for the ban and I dont care where it originates from as everyone is in the house party mood and really what's the big deal having one day where you cant go in to a bar? It would be nice if it was for the entire weekend in fact as it might promote more family activities and give some people a break from their daily routine propping up a bar stool.

rubadub

sdanseo wrote: »

Two sides to this one; on the one hand it's a bit pathetic that people panic-buy alcohol on the Thursday.

I have never seen any of this alleged "pathetic panic buying" going on. I have seen people buy drink of course, and as bulk buying is cheaper most do that, as it's pretty sensible, they seemed perfectly calm & collected to me. Many will be hosting parties and so buying for many people, but no panic there either.

Do you regard people buying food in at christmas "pathetic" too? or is it just alcohol? what about 7up?

posturingpat

It's one day/build up to a day that really sickens my hole. I go out for a few pints once or twice every week or fortnight and the odd time i might go on a bit of a mad 1 and go on it for a full weekend,much like your run of the mill male drinker between the age of 18 and 40.
Despite this i've no bother not having a drink on a Good Friday yet i've friends that mightn't have a drink for 6 months at a time that go into panic mode before Good Friday with Facebook statuses up about OMG no drink this Friday etc. and sending out group messages to organise parties etc. when the same people normally wouldn't go near a party other than for a nosey. What kind of gob****es do we have about this country at all :rolleyes:

Richard Hillman

Best drinking day of the year. It would be just another Friday if they opened the off licences and pubs.

Sometimes it is nice to preserve traditions

RobertKK

murpho999 wrote: »

It makes the country look backward and under the cosh of the church.

Tourists who don't want to go on the p1ss like Irish but can't get a glass of wine with a meal. It's ridiculous.

Religious doctrines should not be forced on the masses by a secular state (which Ireland is supposed to be).
If Catholics don't want to drink that day then don't be but let those who don't believe in it do what they want.

No it doesn't make the country look backward.

What makes the country look backwards are all the people who lack a brain and are unable to drink sensibly, and think they need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

If we had less of a drinking problem in this country, then yes I would support the lifting, but every year we see how sad the situation is as some people have to stock up for the day.

It is a drug that a lot of people use irresponsibly, there are still people who drink and drive, A&Es with people suffering from the effects of alcohol - a stat for the UK was 70% of people attending A&E are due to alcohol.
Alcohol associated with mental health issues and increased cases of cancer.

Drinking alcohol is what is backward as a recent study found drinking any alcohol is a negative for health.
So maybe if we had more alcohol free days in terms of sales it would be more progressive than having less.

Azalea

The only thing that's pathetic is adults saying "lol I'd love to stick it to the atheists", not even bothering to differentiate between atheists

Pubs closing on a Friday night because of the church, when so many people don't practise Christianity or don't have a belief at all, is an absolute joke. Particularly for tourists. People should have the option to go to the pub to socialise on a Friday night if they wish - it's not just about alcohol. If it were, people could just stock up beforehand but that's a bit unhealthy in my opinion. I don't need to ensure there's a rake of drink in the house, I'd just like (being an adult) to have the option if the fancy takes me to head out good Friday night.

I'm sure the "Hur hur, look at those plebs unable to handle one night of the year without the pub" feel great about themselves (bet it annoys them some good Fridays that they can't go out though, and I'd bet also some of them are atheists - the ones who are "better" than other atheists) but they're missing the point by miles. "It's nice to have tradition" from people who don't even go to mass is hilarious too.

The Randy Riverbeast

They could close the pubs for the entire time of Ramadan and it wouldn't change much for me.

I don't see any reason for alcohol sales to be illegal though, only an idiot would think it stops people drinking.

The Randy Riverbeast

RobertKK wrote: »

No it doesn't make the country look backward.

What makes the country look backwards are all the people who lack a brain and are unable to drink sensibly, and think they need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

If we had less of a drinking problem in this country, then yes I would support the lifting, but every year we see how sad the situation is as some people have to stock up for the day.

It is a drug that a lot of people use irresponsibly, there are still people who drink and drive, A&Es with people suffering from the effects of alcohol - a stat for the UK was 70% of people attending A&E are due to alcohol.
Alcohol associated with mental health issues and increased cases of cancer.

Drinking alcohol is what is backward as a recent study found drinking any alcohol is a negative for health.
So maybe if we had more alcohol free days in terms of sales it would be more progressive than having less.

keep the ban because people are drinking too much that day? What a successful ban that is.

Azalea

RobertKK wrote: »

The ban only affects those who sell alcohol, and those who drink too much alcohol and are totally out of their mind to know when it is Good Friday.

And tourists.

And non religious people who want to go to the pub to socialise on a Friday night, not even necessarily to drink alcohol.

Religious people just don't have to drink - that's fine.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

In all seriousness though, some of the best house parties I've been at were on good Friday.

RobertKK

Azalea wrote: »

The only thing that's pathetic is adults saying "lol I'd love to stick it to the atheists", not even bothering to differentiate between atheists

Pubs closing on a Friday night because of the church, when so many people don't practise Christianity or don't have a belief at all, is an absolute joke. Particularly for tourists. People should have the option to go to the pub to socialise on a Friday night if they wish - it's not just about alcohol. If it were, people could just stock up beforehand but that's a bit unhealthy in my opinion. I don't need to ensure there's a rake of drink in the house, I'd just like (being an adult) to have the option if the fancy takes me to head out good Friday night.

I'm sure the "Hur hur, look at those plebs unable to handle one night of the year without the pub" feel great about themselves (bet it annoys them some good Fridays that they can't go out though, and I'd bet also some of them are atheists - the ones who are "better" than other atheists) but they're missing the point by miles. "It's nice to have tradition" from people who don't even go to mass is hilarious too.

But have atheists stopped with Christmas? Have they stopped the tradition of St Nicholas with giving presents for example?
Atheists like traditions too...

The Backwards Man

24/7 access to the purchase of alcohol should be a basic human right.

Fcuk the people that think it's not that a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

RobertKK

The Randy Riverbeast wrote: »

keep the ban because people are drinking too much that day? What a successful ban that is.

No keep it to highlight the problem.

A ban for one day won't stop the alcoholics who crave it.

Azalea

Having a go at atheists is beyond edgy, as is telling people who disagree with church control of pubs that they have a drink problem.

The Backwards Man wrote: »

24/7 access to the purchase of alcohol should be a basic human right.

Fcuk the people that think it's not that a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

God no, nobody is saying that. You might maybe (wilfully) misunderstand the much more subdued point people are making?

TheLastMohican

Why stop at Good Fridays? Ban it completely. Prohibition and all it's attractive spin offs ....... SpeakEasies ......... numbers rackets ........ whores with hears of gold, ....... dancers wanting to make it on stage etc.
I'm all for it!

The Randy Riverbeast

RobertKK wrote: »

No keep it to highlight the problem.

A ban for one day won't stop the alcoholics who crave it.

You can stand outside a nightclub most nights and do that. The ban doesn't prevent drinking and has even made it a night of partying. Might as well let people head into town.

RobertKK

Azalea wrote: »

Having a go at atheists is beyond edgy, as is telling people who disagree with church control of pubs that they have a drink problem.

A lot of people do have a drink problem and drink far more than the recommended level.

There is going to be such a demand for livers in the coming years.

The Backwards Man

Azalea wrote: »

Having a go at atheists is beyond edgy, as is telling people who disagree with church control of pubs that they have a drink problem.

God no, nobody is saying that. You might maybe (wilfully) misunderstand the much more subdued point people are making?

Ah, I'm not a big fan of the Good Friday law meself, although it was a great day for varnishing floors, but I think people go way overboard in their protestations at the same time. Life is too short to get wound up by trivial stuff.

RobertKK

The Randy Riverbeast wrote: »

You can stand outside a nightclub most nights and do that. The ban doesn't prevent drinking and has even made it a night of partying. Might as well let people head into town.

The real question is why do some people need alcohol to enjoy themselves?

TheLastMohican

RobertKK wrote: »

A lot of people do have a drink problem and drink far more than the recommended level.

There is going to be such a demand for livers in the coming years.

Life depends on the liver

murpho999

RobertKK wrote: »

No it doesn't make the country look backward.

What makes the country look backwards are all the people who lack a brain and are unable to drink sensibly, and think they need alcohol to enjoy themselves.

If we had less of a drinking problem in this country, then yes I would support the lifting, but every year we see how sad the situation is as some people have to stock up for the day.

It is a drug that a lot of people use irresponsibly, there are still people who drink and drive, A&Es with people suffering from the effects of alcohol - a stat for the UK was 70% of people attending A&E are due to alcohol.
Alcohol associated with mental health issues and increased cases of cancer.

Drinking alcohol is what is backward as a recent study found drinking any alcohol is a negative for health.
So maybe if we had more alcohol free days in terms of sales it would be more progressive than having less.

It does make the country look backward. People coming here for a weekend at Easter just say our biggest social outlet and one of our major tourist attractions closed due to a religious law. No other country in Europe has that.

They don't come to analyse our attitudes to drink.

Also, to follow your logic we shoudl just ban alcohol alogther.

You do realise that the ban on Good Friday solves nothing and encourages binge drinking?
The whole attitude to licencing laws is ridiculous. It's not the availability of alcohol that is causing this country's problems with drink. Closing off licences at 10 has solved nothing.
Just like its annoying that you can't buy a bottle of wine for a dinner at 10 in the morning due to silly laws.

It really has to change.