Was St. Patrick's Day ever "dry"?

HeidiHeidi · 06-03-2014 10:46PM #1

Maybe someone can answer this for me for once and for all.

I'm convinced that I remember (vaguely

) a time when St. Patrick's Day was dry, and the only place you could get a drink (or where my dad used to bring me, anyway, presumably so he could have one) was a dog show in the RDS.

Am I completely raving? Everyone I ask seems to think so.

Even I think it's highly unlikely.

But I'm sure I remember it!

jane82 · 06-03-2014 10:47PM

Probably christmas day or stephens day or when they closed the pubs at halftime on a sunday to get people to go home and fall asleep.

Uriel. · 06-03-2014 10:48PM

Of course remember a particular scorcher oh odd 10 and 5 I'd say.

Scorcher indeed.

Absolute scorcher.

Those were the days. At the time of the scorchings.

And not a bit of sunblock In sight

hfallada · 06-03-2014 10:48PM

St Patrick's is an international event. The Americans even 100 years ago used to drink green beer. But I imagine st Patrick's day is only the commercial thing we have today when the Irish government decided to milk anything that can make them money

HeidiHeidi · 06-03-2014 10:48PM

jane82 wrote: »

Probably christmas day or stephens day or when they closed the pubs at halftime on a sunday to get people to go home and fall asleep.

Nah, I clearly remember all those! (well, Holy Hour anyhow, which is the only one not still going)

Definitely St. Patrick's Day I'm thinking of.

ArtSmart · 06-03-2014 10:49PM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Maybe someone can answer this for me for once and for all.

I'm convinced that I remember (vaguely ) a time when St. Patrick's Day was dry, and the only place you could get a drink (or where my dad used to bring me, anyway, presumably so he could have one) was a dog show in the RDS.

Am I completely raving? Everyone I ask seems to think so.

Even I think it's highly unlikely.

But I'm sure I remember it!

No, that was the only place your DAD could get a drink.

a dry Paddy's Day. Are you mad?

HeidiHeidi · 06-03-2014 10:50PM

ArtSmart wrote: »

No, that was the only place your DAD could get a drink.

a dry Paddy's Day. Are you mad?

Maybe I am.

And now I feel like I'm doing a disservice to my poor Dad who hardly every drank!

jane82 · 06-03-2014 10:51PM

Haha OPs dad was barred out of every boozer in Dublin except the dog track.

Donkey Oaty · 06-03-2014 10:53PM

Irishabroad.com agrees with OP:

Until the 1970's, Ireland was dry on St Patrick's day, ie no pubs were allowed to open on March 17th. The only place where a person could legally acquire alcohol was on a train, or at the annual dog show in Dublin's RDS.

Busted Flat. · 06-03-2014 10:54PM

"In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was thanks to the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by Irish Member of Parliament James O'Mara.[21] O'Mara later introduced the law that required that pubs and bars be closed on 17 March after drinking got out of hand, a provision that was repealed in the 1970s"

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEsQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSaint_Patrick%27s_Day&ei=tO0YU52POcS47QbR8oGoCQ&usg=AFQjCNH0N8iEiC2IYZZ7Y-pG7amUu6YWlg&bvm=bv.62577051,d.ZGU

efc67 · 06-03-2014 10:56PM

Up until sometime in the early 70's, pubs were closed on St Patricks day

ArtSmart · 06-03-2014 11:01PM

Busted Flat. wrote: »

"In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was thanks to the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by Irish Member of Parliament James O'Mara.[21] O'Mara later introduced the law that required that pubs and bars be closed on 17 March after drinking got out of hand, a provision that was repealed in the 1970s"

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEsQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSaint_Patrick%27s_Day&ei=tO0YU52POcS47QbR8oGoCQ&usg=AFQjCNH0N8iEiC2IYZZ7Y-pG7amUu6YWlg&bvm=bv.62577051,d.ZGU

be God.

Still, I've a funny feeling that particular law was neither observed nor enforced.

Of course, the 'occasional drinker' might not have know a local publican, so...down to the dog show to mix with the rich crazies . lol

HeidiHeidi · 06-03-2014 11:04PM

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Irishabroad.com agrees with OP:

Woohoo, I wasn't imagining it!

I knew it

Now if I could only remember all the people who fell over laughing at me over the years.......

nice_very · 07-03-2014 03:06AM

this is the time of year when auld lads in pubs would tell ya how they used to give up the drink for lent but were "allowed" drink on 17th March. then you would hear the stories of the "good friday" day trips over and back on the ferries - a drinking excursion

orangesoda · 07-03-2014 03:20AM

It's dry enough at Slemish every year, unless you count the puddles and mud on the ground

Sir Arthur Daley · 07-03-2014 03:24AM

Until the 1970s pubs were closed, it was law at the time.

The Backwards Man · 07-03-2014 03:31AM

Wasn't it Sunday hours for years as well or am I dreaming?

Sir Arthur Daley · 07-03-2014 03:33AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Wasn't it Sunday hours for years as well or am I dreaming?

As in closing for a couple of hours in the afternoon when the craic was just starting?

The Backwards Man · 07-03-2014 03:38AM

WikiHow wrote: »

As in closing for a couple of hours in the afternoon when the craic was just starting?

Na, closing at 11. We used to close at 11 because we didn't want the dickheads who closed down other towns coming near us, but can't remember if that was the actual licencing hours or not. Sucks to be getting old.

Sir Arthur Daley · 07-03-2014 03:46AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Na, closing at 11.

Are you going back to the early 90s?

feargale · 07-03-2014 05:26AM

Busted Flat. wrote: »

"In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was thanks to the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by Irish Member of Parliament James O'Mara.[21] O'Mara later introduced the law that required that pubs and bars be closed on 17 March after drinking got out of hand, a provision that was repealed in the 1970s"

He that giveth also taketh away.

Was St. Patrick's Day ever "dry"?

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