Licensing laws on Good Friday

GarIT · 02-04-2012 01:36AM

Are there any TDs that openly oppose the law?

watna · 02-04-2012 05:17AM

Catholics are not the only people who celebrate Easter you know, and a number of the other religions that do celebrate it don't believe in drinking in full stop so I fail to see how it's discrimination by the Catholic Church - it's a Christian thing, not a Catholic thing.

Also, it's not only in Ireland that there is a law like this. In NZ on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas day you can only get a drink with a meal or if you are staying at the hotel/tavern where you are ordering said drink (i.e. you can't go in to a pub and just drink all day or to a club until the wee hours of the morning) - and to make it worse if you eat out here on Public Holidays you'll get 15% added on to your bill because their staff costs are higher (which is bollocks). So you'd have to pay a lot to have your drink on Good Friday! Off-licences are closed and the booze section of the supermarket is closed off.

Catholicism isn't nearly as big here and a lot more people claim to be atheists but they still have licencing laws concerning Good Friday, albeit not quite as strict. I don't know how much religion really has to do with it - so I don't think complaining about the Catholic Church really works in this case.

Rabies · 02-04-2012 06:37AM

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

I think she means religion isn't as big here and its a more liberal country, to still hold on to hold religious based laws is odd for this country.

Still have a lot of the new world religious movements here, I don't count those

R0ot · 02-04-2012 08:29AM

Every single year there is at least one thread about this.

So from being an ex-bartender I'd like to point out that there are only two guaranteed holidays of the year, good Friday and Christmas day. Stop bloody complaining about 2 days of the year (okay in this instance only one) where the damn pubs are closed seriously, stop it.

There are 363(364) other days in the year where you can drink in the pub and this day you might just have to be prepared and buy alcohol the day before!

A list of seemingly lovely "holidays" where bartenders are usually in the thick of it - St Patrick's Day (the mother of all days), EVERY BANK HOLIDAY, those big match weekends, world cup, euro championship, Olympics etc.... (not holidays but most people treat them as such with the pub) so please on this good Friday shut the hell up about it being closed and buy your drink the day before.

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Rabidlamb · 02-04-2012 10:22AM

Speaking for the devout church going 84 percenters you heathens are lucky we don't close it every Friday.
As for the burgers, you've just given us an idea . . .

watna · 02-04-2012 10:36AM

Rabies wrote: »

I think she means religion isn't as big here and its a more liberal country, to still hold on to hold religious based laws is odd for this country.

Still have a lot of the new world religious movements here, I don't count those

Yep - that's exactly what I meant. NZ isn't a very religious country (although there are oddly a lpt of mormons) but they still have similar laws. I've never heard anyone complain once about it in the 4 years I've lived here but there's a thread on AH every year about it.

The same licencing laws also apply on Anzac day until 1pm and that public holiday has nothing to do with religion at all.

prinz · 02-04-2012 11:04AM

watna wrote: »

Catholics are not the only people who celebrate Easter you know, and a number of the other religions that do celebrate it don't believe in drinking in full stop so I fail to see how it's discrimination by the Catholic Church - it's a Christian thing, not a Catholic thing..

Indeed as mentioned even the UK has Good Friday entertainment rules (no domestic horse racing meets on Good Friday).. most of the countries in Europe have some sort of restrictions on some form of entertainment on the day.. yet still so many come out with the 'only in Ireland' cliché.

..but this is Ireland, a place where unless you have unrestricted shopping, alcohol and all, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year you are seriously hard done by. Then half of the complainers go and emmigrate to countries with a lot more traditional approaches to business etc.

Paparazzo · 02-04-2012 11:19AM

I've learned from this thread that bar workers don't get any annual leave and work 363 days in the year.
Princes among men.

Anyone · 02-04-2012 11:20AM

For 2 days of the year, the pub isnt open, and everytime they come up, these threads appear. 2 days......

Funny thing is, I'd bet half the whingers wouldnt even go to the pub on those days anyway!

Paparazzo · 02-04-2012 11:25AM

Anyone wrote: »

For 2 days of the year, the pub isnt open, and everytime they come up, these threads appear. 2 days......

Funny thing is, I'd bet half the whingers wouldnt even go to the pub on those days anyway!

Of course. We want to go because we know we can't go. If we could go it wouldn't have the same appeal.

Anyone · 02-04-2012 11:32AM

Paparazzo wrote: »

Of course. We want to go because we know we can't go. If we could go it wouldn't have the same appeal.

I know, its the typical AH whingefest.

eyescreamcone · 02-04-2012 11:44AM

I think that if any publican wants to open his pub he should be allowed to.
If he's holy and wants to remain shut then he has that option also.

I also think that the the pubs should be allowed to stay open on Xmas day if they wish.
I'm thinking of the elderly old guy who pops in for a quart every day - this being his only social outlet.
But the "christians" among us say to this old lad, "feck off home and eat your cold turkey on your own".

Publicans should be given the choice to open or not.
The public should be given the choice to frequent the said establishment or not.

Anyone who doesn't agree with me is a nutter - in my opinion!!!

Plazaman · 02-04-2012 11:55AM

If the pubs opened on Good Friday, when would they get time to varnish the floors or paint the place? There'd be anarachy... and grotty pubs....

Paparazzo · 02-04-2012 12:07PM

Plazaman wrote: »

If the pubs opened on Good Friday, when would they get time to varnish the floors or paint the place? There'd be anarachy... and grotty pubs....

They're empty on monday to wednesday. Plenty of time to do it then

AeoNGriM · 02-04-2012 12:13PM

angry kitten wrote: »

I was just thinking about the licensing laws on Good Friday and wondering why we still have such a law in place. I'm not a huge drinker but I've noticed that its a really messy night of the year in terms of house parties. Its as if a large portion of the country panics at the prospect of not being able to buy a drink until Saturday. There must be more drinking done on Good Friday than on any other Friday of the year.

I'm surprised that the law is still in place. Surely there must be a valid legal argument for abolishing it in this day and age.

With all the fcuking dirty knacker pissheads destroying the place week in, week out, I think the streets of Dublin could do without being drenched with piss and vomit for just one night, don't you?

D1stant · 02-04-2012 12:19PM

GarIT wrote: »

Probably a mad idea that would never work but would it be possible to take this to the European courts and claim discrimination against us by the Catholics?

Haven't the likes of you already made enough money from the tribunals?

eyescreamcone · 02-04-2012 12:21PM

If you support the banning of anything "on religious grounds" you are a nutter!!!

Half baked excuses like "it's only one day" etc are lame.
I have more respect for the guy who comes out and says "Blah Blah Blah God Jesus Blah".
He's still a nutter though!!!

02-04-2012 12:32PM

My birthday is on Good Friday.

Fuck you Jesus... I thought you were cool.

slaneylad · 02-04-2012 12:39PM

Publicans get 2 days off a year stop giving out about the pubs being closed.

Rabies · 02-04-2012 12:44PM

watna wrote: »

Yep - that's exactly what I meant. NZ isn't a very religious country (although there are oddly a lpt of mormons) but they still have similar laws. I've never heard anyone complain once about it in the 4 years I've lived here but there's a thread on AH every year about it.

The same licencing laws also apply on Anzac day until 1pm and that public holiday has nothing to do with religion at all.

No one really moans about it at all,you're right.
People stock up more on a long weekend when you're going to the bach for a weekend.

The Anzac rule came in partially to stop the veterans from drinking late at night and missing the dawn service.
Not many people drink in the morning anyway, unless its a weekend then all the bar staff go for a few early ones after work

Stercus Accidit · 02-04-2012 12:49PM

Paparazzo wrote: »

I've learned from this thread that bar workers don't get any annual leave and work 363 days in the year.
Princes among men.

364 days a year on a leap year, they never take a day off or have other staff to cover for them, hard life.

Sangre · 02-04-2012 12:50PM

Topper7 wrote: »

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Not really fair on the other religions, Muslim and Jew that just because its a catholic country they cannot go for a pint either. Not fair tbh.

We have to follow much stricter laws when we visit their countries so I cant really see how this is a problem! (Also as far as I know muslims are not supposed to consume alcohol)

Their countries? Im pretty sure you can be Irish and not be a Christian.

jokettle · 02-04-2012 12:50PM

slaneylad wrote: »

Publicans get 2 days off a year stop giving out about the pubs being closed.

See, this is what I don't understand. I know 3 publicans who run small family-owned pubs in rural areas and only take these 2 days off a year. What's stopping them from taking a day off in the middle of the week some time? Just close the pub for a day here and there so you get some time to relax. Close the pub for a week so you get a proper break. Your customers won't desert you forever just because you're gone for a short period of time.

Is there a reason why publicans won't do this? Are they tied to delivery dates from breweries or something like that? I really don't understand why, as a self-employed business person, a publican can't dictate his or her own time off. I'm genuinely curious, can anyone in the business enlighten me?

SEEMagazine · 02-04-2012 01:12PM

I was once in Port Arlington on the way back from a USI conference on Good Friday (usual waiting for a connection bs) and I took a wander around the place to kill some time. Of course the pub just next to the train station was packed to the rafters, a huge amount of craic and hooly-esque noises coming out of the place. Garda car parked outside too.

Limerick was able to get a lift on the ban for the Munster-Leinster game a few years back, AND if if I recall the original law you're not supposed to deny a walking traveller a drink so long as they've taken the time to walk from a few parishes over.

No such ban here thankfully. Of course, no Easter Eggs either. I'd murder a bag of Cadbury' Mini Eggs right now.

the groutch · 02-04-2012 01:17PM

good news for Corkonian alcoholics:

http://www.corkman.ie/news/cheery-good-friday-at-the-greyhound-track-3065671.html

CORK'S greyhound track is to 'move with the times' and open on Good Friday. Curraheen Park is among the few licensed venues to be exempt from the Good Friday restrictions on the sale of alcohol. The venue will open for customers on Good Friday, April 6 at 6.30pm with 10 live Greyhound Races taking place. Bars will close at 11pm, with the stadiums to close soon after at 11.30pm. "Ireland has undergone massive social change in recent years, and like any other business we must move with the changing times and respond to customer demand," commented Elizabeth Igoe, Sales, Commercial and Operations Manager, Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium. "A number of racegoers have in recent years requested that greyhound racing take place on Good Friday. We are confident as always that visitors will enjoy a truly great night"

Rabies · 02-04-2012 01:22PM

jokettle wrote: »

See, this is what I don't understand. I know 3 publicans who run small family-owned pubs in rural areas and only take these 2 days off a year. What's stopping them from taking a day off in the middle of the week some time? Just close the pub for a day here and there so you get some time to relax. Close the pub for a week so you get a proper break. Your customers won't desert you forever just because you're gone for a short period of time.

Is there a reason why publicans won't do this? Are they tied to delivery dates from breweries or something like that? I really don't understand why, as a self-employed business person, a publican can't dictate his or her own time off. I'm genuinely curious, can anyone in the business enlighten me?

Many Irish pubs are still family run.
Taking some time off and closing for a week or two isn't good business practice. Might have been ok years ago.

Newer pubs or chains are rarely owner operated, only managed from a distance.
Get senior staff to cover and hire temp staff if required.
Keep on making $.

eyescreamcone · 02-04-2012 02:28PM

slaneylad wrote: »

Publicans get 2 days off a year stop giving out about the pubs being closed.

There is no law that says publicans must open 363 days per year!

The law - as dictated to ALL of us by the jesus gang through their puppet governments - states all publicans must close on the friday before Easter and on Xmas day.

Why should the "christians" be allowed to dictate their unusual practices to the sane members of the community???
Why would they want to dictate to us??

Please let us have the "free will" you pretend to believe in!!!

Arawn · 02-04-2012 02:31PM

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Not really fair on the other religions, Muslim and Jew that just because its a catholic country they cannot go for a pint either. Not fair tbh.

Thats some good knowledge on religion right there

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 02-04-2012 02:32PM

Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

God bless contries with sensible athiest drinking laws....

up for anything · 02-04-2012 02:35PM

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Not really fair on the other religions, Muslim and Jew that just because its a catholic country they cannot go for a pint either. Not fair tbh.

Well if you think about it a good Muslim shouldn't be going for a pint anyway. :pac:

Licensing laws on Good Friday

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