New Irish Public Holiday - 1st Feb. (St Brigit's Day) is proposed

Juran

I agree we need a new public holiday, most of Europe have more than us.

But I disagree sticking with a date, rather than first Monday in February, or last Monday, for example.

Having a Monday off is better for the econmy as opposed to mid-week, as more people and families go to the effort of doing or going somewhere special for long weekends, eg. Hotel weekend break, dinning out, drinking out, events, theme parks, etc.

I worked in Europe for years (France, Germany, Switzerland), and so many public holidays fell midweek, as they still do. No one seemed to do anything special. Ok, didnt help that all shops closed.

What would you vote for if you had a choice.

A definded date, or first Monday of the month ?

Yeh, Monday is better. When st pats is on a Wednesday it’s useless. On other days you can “bridge” the weekend.

Atlantic Dawn

A first or last Monday is better, having it fall on a single date is a load of bollix. My preference would have been to tag it on to the day after St Patricks Day.

Absolutely stupid, archaic decision to use a religious day for the public holiday.

Juran

I won't argue that point.

I'm not religious, i am not even catholic. But I won't say no to a public holiday. If they say we get a holiday for Mickey Mouse day, I will take it !

What else can we use? .. Independence Day would never be used due to the North and UK. Any ideas?

igCorcaigh

I don't mind a fixed day holiday. There are plenty of long weekends. It ends up being an extended Saturday, or booze festival (although I do like my booze).

I welcome a day off in February though, the gap from Christmas to March 17 are long dark months.

daheff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457444#Comment_118457444

So like Christmas? St Stephens day? St Patrick's Day?

I don't care if it's a religious holiday if I get a day off.

Also bank holiday day should roll over to the next weekday if it falls on a weekend....not like on continent where if it falls at the weekend then tough.

billyhead

It should be the 1st Monday in February.

KanyeSouthEast

Not sure if the 1st Feb is going to encourage people to do a whole lot. I think a summer bank holiday would be a lot better let’s say 1 July instead of 1st Feb.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457474#Comment_118457474

Independence Day would be a bit weird alright. I know a lot of countries do have that, but we're not most countries.

Barrett1234

I think it’s good to have a holiday in February, gives some time off between New Years and March but I think it’s wasted if it’s not a Monday

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457487#Comment_118457487

We need to move away from the Catholic Church.

This step is a small step in the wrong direction. It was a perfectly good opportunity for a secular day, without any religious connotations.

A day off is always welcome, but symbolically, it would have been better for government to have made a different, better, more 21st-century choice.

RobAMerc

now that I am no longer a contractor I whole heartedly support this idea !

Maybe have a day in September to celebrate the great Irishman Arthur Guinness, where we all go out and have a beer maybe ? Call it Paddies Day 2 ?

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457444#Comment_118457444

Well it is early Christian religious I guess, but also the start of spring, marked by an older pagan religion. At least it's Irish, in the old sense.

daheff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457514#Comment_118457514

So what? A day to celebrate the same sex marriage referendum? Gay Day?

Chucky Q

Could do with an extra day off

igCorcaigh

I, for one, like this idea.

igCorcaigh

Anyone else remember making Brigid's' cross from reeds in school?

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457524#Comment_118457524

Hey, straight boy!

Pauliedragon

I think 1st Monday in in Feb is the way to go. Most people seem to hate Jan with the post xmas blues, shite weather and dreary dark evenings. New years day to Paddies day is a long gap between PH. A long weekend at the start of Feb to wave goodbye to Jan would be nice timing.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457444#Comment_118457444

Pfft. It’s the national day. Unless you mean feb 1st, which is more a pagan holiday then a big Christian festival. Anyway it won’t be on the day.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457514#Comment_118457514

Remembrance day for all the dead babies in mass graves. Nah, meaningless saint day.

Zebra3

An extra day off is welcome, but tagging it on to some religious nonsense is embarrassing. Can FFFG not give up their devotion to RC church after their collusion with their crimes? 🙄

Weather is crap that time of year, better off in July.

standardg60

Thought it was already the plan that it was going to float around to suit, and this year will be Friday 18th March to extend the Paddy's day shenanigans.

SuperBowserWorld

I like the idea of celebrating this day.

• Start of Spring (perhaps).
• Time to reflect on new beginnings.
• A public holiday that does not revolve around shopping or drinking.
• It should definitely reflect and remember those who dedicate their lives to the common good.
• Definitely all those in the health service/front line workers/shops/... who've had to put up with so much **** in the paste few years.
• A break between Jan and the long run up to St. Patrick's day
• Celebrate a woman of Irish Christian and pre-christian culture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc
• St. Bridget's cross is so cool: simple design anyone can make. Just feels so Celtic/Pagan/Christian/Simple/Timeless/Spiritual.
• We need to celebrate our Irish culture/heritage/history and not pretend it doesn't or never existed.
• More holidays, always good.

Despite the sane and measured commentary here it’s probably going to be the first Monday in February not Feb 1, if it’s not the 18th March. 1st Feb is a Tuesday and we rarely don’t do Mondays, except for St Patrick and Christmas

And if the sane and measured commentators knew their history they would realise that St B is a very local saint, this is also the feast of Imbolc. More a local goddess is Brigid

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457496#Comment_118457496

12th July maybe 😎. I wouldn’t say no! Let’s show a little love for our Orange brethren. Martin and Leo missing a trick here surely. Great chance to show how inclusive they are.

Juran

Looks like the Taoiseach took pur advice with the first Monday of Feb from next year on !! Good stuff

Juran

Ash.J.Williams

I’m up for it as long as Brigid gets the respect she deserves and they drop the word “saint”

Splish Splash

I like the idea of an extra holiday but I think having it in February is a waste. Pay extra to heat your house for the day, if the weather is bad there is nothing for the kids to do; if it's fine it will still be freezing and will get dark early.

I think it should be the first Monday in July. Long days, warm weather, more likely to be going away at that time anyway so saves a day's leave.

Pity they didn't think to have some sort of public consultation before setting a date.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457581#Comment_118457581

Yeah. Out teachers made a competitions of it. The fist year I got the lowest mark of all. The following year I won. I made a point of telling them as they wouldn't have remembered like I did. I wasn't going to let that stat go unnoticed.

apache

Please delete