When were pub closing times introduced?

Victor · 09-03-2019 09:00AM #1

I presume WWI or earlier, but any ideas?

caff · 09-03-2019 09:06AM

Victor wrote: »

I presume WWI or earlier, but any ideas?

http://garda-post.com/bringing-irelands-19th-century-pubs-under-police-control/

GM228 · 09-03-2019 09:59AM

In caffs link the 1685 Act is incorrectly called the Lord's Day Act, it was in fact the Sunday Observance Act 1685 and was a general Act which prohibited certain activities on a Sunday to encourage people to visit church and as stated in the link it did indeed prohibit trading on a Sunday and it was only repealed in 1997 by the Criminal Law Act 1997.

The earliest Act otherwise specifically dealing with pubs and trading hours was the Refreshment Houses (Ireland) Act 1860.

Peregrinus · 11-03-2019 02:21AM

The 1860 Act may have been the first statutory regulation of pub trading hours, but it's possible (and I think likely) that prior to that there was regulation of opening hours (and days?) implemented through licence conditions.

GM228 · 11-03-2019 10:04AM

Peregrinus wrote: »

The 1860 Act may have been the first statutory regulation of pub trading hours, but it's possible (and I think likely) that prior to that there was regulation of opening hours (and days?) implemented through licence conditions.

Good point and one which I overlooked, I believe the Licensing (Ireland) Act 1833 was the first statutory authority which allowed for trading hours be restricted by licence conditions, and it is indeed possible that earlier than that licence conditions limited hours without a specific statutory authority.

When were pub closing times introduced?

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