Pubs on xmas day

Scortho · 25-12-2013 09:13PM

I hate this rule. Not because I'd go to the pub but because certain members of society think they should impose their views on everyone in society.
If you don't want to go to the pub, then don't go. If you don't want to shop on Stephens day then don't shop on Stephens day, but for Feck sake don't enforce you're beliefs on everyone else.

I'm watching tv at the moment. Should the technicians etc not be allowed off today. Should they not be allowed a day off?

This is my first Christmas off in four years (worked it so those with kids could have it off) but because it didn't involve the sale of alcohol society didn't say it was wrong for me to work.

I find all these religious rules ridiculous. Alcohol isn't allowed be sold on Good Friday so everyone stocks up on drink the day before and it becomes one of the biggest piss ups of the year. Likewise Christmas Day. How many adults are pissed this evening...a lot!

Stopping the selling of alcohol on Christmas or Good Friday doesn't stop people getting pissed. Either does closing an off licence at 10 O clock or closing clubs at half 2 in the morning.

John Mason · 25-12-2013 09:15PM

All you have to do is watch corrie and eastenders to the destruction caused by open pubs on Christmas day.

Murders, divorces, births, affairs, overdoses

Scortho · 25-12-2013 09:16PM

meeeeh wrote: »

Hahaha, it really is hard life when the only complaint about oppression some atheists can find is that they can't get plastered on two days in a year. Can't you find some actual discrimination to fight against?

There are plenty of more secular countries which also close shops every Sunday and there are no problems. In fact those things are often supported by unions. I'm an atheist and I like Christmas so I also understand how majority of people like to spend it at home. The good Friday is a different story but it's not a great problem either.

The issue is the law saying that it has to be closed. If business owners want too close on a Sunday let them. But they should also be allowed open if they so wish too.

I'm sure there are plenty of a la carte Catholics pissed this evening.

dundalkfc10 · 25-12-2013 09:17PM

Strumms wrote: »

Damn... I didn't know you made the rules around here... The truth is there has been no compelling argument made in my own view as to why pubs should be open on Xmas day. I and others have voiced reasonable opinions as why they should stay closed... Others like yourself skirt around these opinions with no reasonable retort or facts while you still dismiss any thought to those effected negatively and then shout people down simply by claiming their argument is irrelevant basically because that's all you can do. Nice job !

Your argument regarding guardai nurses etc is valid regarding needing more of them working etc.. but why is Christmas Day different to say St Patricks Day?

mikemac1 · 25-12-2013 09:19PM

Up until the 1950's nobody got served on St Patricks Day

The hoteliers lobbied over it so they could serve the tourists and so it remains.

Strumms · 25-12-2013 09:28PM

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Your argument regarding guardai nurses etc is valid regarding needing more of them working etc.. but why is Christmas Day different to say St Patricks Day?

I'm happy to have a healthy debate but I draw the line at giving you free education...

I know my opinion holds valid re: the thousands of extra frontline support staff that will have their Christmases ****ed up.. I know my opinion about all staff of said establishments who will have to work will experience the same is valid also.

As for the difference between the two days.... Seriously write to your TD or find a small child to explain it to you it can be part of a class project or something.

How many pages in are we now without a counter argument ... Exactly the silence is deafening part from ughhh I wanna go to the pub on Xmas day...it should be my right **** everyone else... Yeah awesomes.

rubberdiddies · 25-12-2013 09:31PM

Scortho wrote: »

The issue is the law saying that it has to be closed. If business owners want too close on a Sunday let them. But they should also be allowed open if they so wish too.

I'm sure there are plenty of a la carte Catholics pissed this evening.

Difference between pubs and most other businesses is that pubs are a licenced premises. Shops aren't.

Licenced premises have to follow rules such as can't serve before 10.30am, can't serve after 11.30pm etc. that's just the way it is.

I'm all for the continental model of cafe bar culture where on the one hand many different types of premises are allowed to serve alcohol but on the other hand the majority don't go out and get hammered for the sake of being hammered and it's a much more social thing. I'd love that here.

But unfortunately in Ireland and the UK we can't handle drink and insist on binge drinking. Because of that (and of course because of political vested interests), we will probably never move to that model.

Henlars67 · 25-12-2013 09:33PM

Strumms wrote: »

I'm happy to have a healthy debate but I draw the line at giving you free education...

I know my opinion holds valid re: the thousands of extra frontline support staff that will have their Christmases ****ed up.. I know my opinion about all staff of said establishments who will have to work will experience the same is valid also.

As for the difference between the two days.... Seriously write to your TD or find a small child to explain it to you it can be part of a class project or something.

How many pages in are we now without a counter argument ... Exactly the silence is deafening part from ughhh I wanna go to the pub on Xmas day...it should be my right **** everyone else... Yeah awesomes.

There have been any amount of counter-arguments. You just choose to ignore them because they don't fit with your ridiculous view that the reason the law is there is to ensure that people have the day off.

feargale · 25-12-2013 09:34PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Na, used to work in a pub years ago and opened on Christmas Day on the QT. Best thing ever happened was the guards closing us down one day. It's only when you work in a pub that you see the amount of Christmas Days ruined for kids as a result of alcohol.

Yes, and if you saw what ends up in family courts and other courts after Christmas you'd close them for a week before Christmas.

chrissb8 · 25-12-2013 09:38PM

GarIT wrote: »

What is the significance of today that non religious people have to shut down their lifes for?

The fact that it goes beyond religion! I don't believe in god or any religion. I don't care for any of it. When I'm sitting around a table with my family laughing and talking it is great. So shut up and accept it for what it is. A break, a time to see family and friends. See it from a psychological well being aspect. People like you say you're open minded. You're just the opposite! you are so closed minded and against religion your narrow view can't take on a broad look at christmas and think there might just be more to it than religion.

Henlars67 · 25-12-2013 09:39PM

feargale wrote: »

Yes, and if you saw what ends up in family courts and other courts after Christmas you'd close them for a week before Christmas.

Oh ya, a few people can't handle their drink and cause trouble so the rest of us should be stopped from going to the pub.

Ban everyone from driving too because some people are maniacs on the road

feargale · 25-12-2013 09:41PM

GarIT wrote: »

I think it's wrong that the country dictates when things can or can't open. If staff want the day off they can book it like any other day. I know I would love to work today.[\B]

Have you trouble finding relief work on Christmas Day? I know lots of people in essential services etc. who would love to be free today.

Strumms · 25-12-2013 09:42PM

Henlars67 wrote: »

There have been any amount of counter-arguments. You just choose to ignore them because they don't fit with your ridiculous view that the reason the law is there is to ensure that people have the day off.

Kindly quote where I said that is the purpose of the law. You can't because I didn't. My point is that if for some reason the law was abolished this would be the overwhelming negative impact and when measured against people having the ability to go to a pub on Christmas Day is certainly not worth the trade off by a long shot.

Rather then choose to ignore any opinion I have simply voiced my own and debated with others. You on the other hand have chosen to misrepresent my views by misquoting me rather then offer anything constructive. Also because you don't have an argument you choose to instead shout others down as irrelevant. Join the other Q please but thanks for coming.

feargale · 25-12-2013 09:44PM

Henlars67 wrote: »

Oh ya, a few people can't handle their drink and cause trouble so the rest of us should be stopped from going to the pub.

Ban everyone from driving too because some people are maniacs on the road

Many people see driving as essential to their business or livelihood. The only person whose livelihood depends on drinking is a wine taster.

systemicrisk · 25-12-2013 09:47PM

GarIT wrote: »

No, you shouldn't be forced into it. I'm all for protecting peoples right to have the day off if they want though.

Just because you like to do something doesn't make it right to force other people to do it.

I am yet to see one argument against making laws to ensure people in every industry dont have to work of they don't want to and then lifting the other restrictions.

That would be fair enough. If they ensured everyone who wanted could take day off but didnt force places to close.

Scortho · 25-12-2013 09:49PM

rubberdiddies wrote: »

Difference between pubs and most other businesses is that pubs are a licenced premises. Shops aren't.

Licenced premises have to follow rules such as can't serve before 10.30am, can't serve after 11.30pm etc. that's just the way it is.

I'm all for the continental model of cafe bar culture where on the one hand many different types of premises are allowed to serve alcohol but on the other hand the majority don't go out and get hammered for the sake of being hammered and it's a much more social thing. I'd love that here.

But unfortunately in Ireland and the UK we can't handle drink and insist on binge drinking. Because of that (and of course because of political vested interests), we will probably never move to that model.

I'm saying that limiting the hours/days that premises can sell alcohol doesn't fix the drinking problem in this country.
People just stock up and binge drink anyway.

Being overweight is unhealthy and kills thousands of people each year, yet we don't licence when food can be sold, because that would be foolish and stupid because a fat person can still eat....yet we ban the selling of drink during certain hours! :rolleyes:

shruikan2553 · 25-12-2013 09:54PM

Either all non essential businesses should be closed or none. Cant you just buy milk the day before or do without? Its only one day.

If you dont want to work on Christmas then choose a job somewhere that will give you the day off or closes.

feargale · 25-12-2013 09:55PM

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

People go to the pub anyway, it's just now the pubs have to break the law if they want to serve drink. It's pretty common in the the country side in particular. The publicans risk large fines and possibly losing their license because of some backwards religious custom.
It's the same as good friday. If the pub owners want to close for the day then that would obviously be absolutely fine, but making it illegal for them to open is really stupid.

Good Friday is not the same. Drinking at or before Easter in Ireland creates no greater problem than at any other time of year. You have a valid case in asserting that the Good Friday ban is an obtrusive religious imposition. That argument does not hold for Christmas. I suspect that more than a few people of no religion support Christmas Day closing,

My name is URL · 25-12-2013 10:00PM

I don't get the argument about how everyone apparently is glad to have the day off. If the law were changed it wouldn't somehow mean that pubs were obliged to open. If that many people want the day off, and to stay at home with their families; then get rid of the silly law since it's obviously not required, just like it's not required to determine whether any other business opens on christmas day.

feargale · 25-12-2013 10:04PM

Scortho wrote: »

Being overweight is unhealthy and kills thousands of people each year, yet we don't licence when food can be sold,:

No, nor do we do much to regulate what goes into food. But watch this space. That libertarian view of the world was fine when the world was simpler. Now we are exposed to too many exploitative commercial interests that would poison us all for profit. At least when we all lived in caves, before you drank your hootch you first had to sweat off a few kilos making it.

Shout Dust · 25-12-2013 10:05PM

Scortho wrote: »

I'm saying that limiting the hours/days that premises can sell alcohol doesn't fix the drinking problem in this country.
People just stock up and binge drink anyway.

Being overweight is unhealthy and kills thousands of people each year, yet we don't licence when food can be sold, because that would be foolish and stupid because a fat person can still eat....yet we ban the selling of drink during certain hours! :rolleyes:

Food is essential for survival, drink is not. Though something should be done to curb the rising levels of obesity and overweight people

feargale · 25-12-2013 10:06PM

GarIT wrote: »

I think it's wrong that the country dictates when things can or can't open. If staff want the day off they can book it like any other day. I know I would love to work today.[\B]

Have you trouble finding relief work on Christmas Day? I know lots of people in essential services etc. who would love to be free today.

feargale · 25-12-2013 10:06PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Na, used to work in a pub years ago and opened on Christmas Day on the QT. Best thing ever happened was the guards closing us down one day. It's only when you work in a pub that you see the amount of Christmas Days ruined for kids as a result of alcohol.

Yes, and if you saw what ends up in family courts and other courts after Christmas you'd close them for a week before Christmas.

Scortho · 25-12-2013 10:12PM

Shout Dust wrote: »

Food is essential for survival, drink is not. Though something should be done to curb the rising levels of obesity and overweight people

Too much food isn't essential for survival either.

The only thing that should be done about obesity is the same thing that should be done about alcohol abuse.
Educate people about the risks of drinking too much alcohol and eating too much food and teach them how much of each is safe.
Then leave it at that and let people make their own decisions.

Cienciano · 25-12-2013 10:20PM

To be honest, I think they should be allowed open, but I can't think of anything more depressing than going down to the pub on christmas day.
But some people might want to.
Same with good friday, same with the idiotic off licence opening hours

Strumms wrote: »

That my be the origin of the law. To change it would need a compelling reason.

The only one I've heard so far is... "Because we want to" "it's religious oppression and my rights are being infringed" " I don't want to spend time with my family"

There is no compelling reason to inconvenience tens of thousands of hard working people out of a nice quite Christmas, a day off and I include the knock on effect of more gardai, hospital staff etc... So YOU want to go down the pub on one of the only 2 days a year that it's closed.... So ****in what... Unreasonable much ? . It's not all about YOU... Read a book about ducks... Or do something else that doesn't involve the few ****ing it up for the many... For ONE day..

What about people who live on their own and have no family that have christmas on their own. Would be nice for them to be able to go down to the pub for dinner?

Cedrus · 25-12-2013 10:26PM

Scortho wrote: »

People just stock up and binge drink anyway.

+10, The number of people I saw lurching around my locality last Holy Saturday with eyes like pissholes in the snow after a Good Friday of home drinking was frightening. Shutting the pubs for 2 days a year does not in anyway reduce alcohol consumption, anyone who believes is does is deluded.

About 10 years back when the off licence hours were curtailed, I was driving past the Simon shelter in Cork a few days later at 7:30 AM and the residents were out, fully stocked up with booze, if people with their challenged ability can circumvent the legislative controls then what is the point of having them.

Since I became the designated cook, I haven't had the time to go out on Christmas eve never mind Christmas day so it's a moot point for me. However I do think that pubs should not be prevented from opening. Mind you, I also supported the relaxing of closing times a few years back and that went as pearshaped as a deformed pear could possibly be.

MJ23 · 25-12-2013 10:31PM

Plan ahead. Buy a few cans. It's two days in the year. If you can't manage that, then you have a problem.

Scortho · 25-12-2013 10:35PM

MJ23 wrote: »

Plan ahead. Buy a few cans. It's two days in the year. If you can't manage that, then you have a problem.

That isn't a valid argument to forcing a business to close. Give them the option to close
Just because you don't want to go to the pub on Good Friday or Christmas Day, doesn't mean that someone else doesn't want to go.

MJ23 · 25-12-2013 10:37PM

Scortho wrote: »

That isn't a valid argument to forcing a business to close. Give them the option to close
Just because you don't want to go to the pub on Good Friday or Christmas Day, doesn't mean that someone else doesn't want to go.

What about the people working in the pubs? Surely they'd like a day off. It's two days in the year.

oppenheimer1 · 25-12-2013 10:37PM

Chancer3001 wrote: »

I can't get over the amount of people grasping to the "staff day off" nonsense.

Book the day off. Hire somebody who doesn't care about working that day. Get a job in a different industry.

Should we close airports? Shops? Hotels? Restaurants? Petrol stations?

An absolute nonsensical argument.

Sure fuck it why do we close anything on Christmas day?

Pubs on xmas day

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