24 hour bars. Good/bad idea?

Dave!

The licences would be for 24 hours, I wouldn't imagine most places would stay open for 24 hours though. But the point is that it would be up to the different establishments what time they want to close, and so if some stay open later and others earlier, then everybody won't be on the street at the same time.

Bradidup

I would agree with some sort of a staggering of the drink times and closing of nightclubs. Take for example in Ennis, three clubs finish at 2.am, when cleared everyone hangs around da burger joints on Abby street. It is a show in its self. The only prob with stggering times is that the crowd would move to the pub/club that stays open the latest!!, it wont work either.

Dave!

It's the same deal in Dublin... everyone leaves at the same time and goes to Burger King, McDonald's, Abrakebabra, etc. The result is usually a few fights, plenty of overcrowding, and alot of demand for taxis (as well as the Nightlink being like something out of India).

Sure, people may gravitate towards the pub with the longest opening hours (although I don't think that everybody wants to stay out until McDonalds start serving breakfast), but at the end of the day, the pubs have a finite capacity, so they can't let everybody in or they'll be screwed when it's discovered they've breached health and safety regulations; and if people start going from pub to pub as they start to close, then that's fine once the people are sober, and if they're not, then again the bouncers won't let them in.

Rabies

Bradidup wrote:

The only prob with stggering times is that the crowd would move to the pub/club that stays open the latest!!, it wont work either.

Not really. Even drunk people know their fill. Some will move on, but many would go home.

If 24hr bars ever got the green light in Ireland there would be a long period of adjustment, but I think it would work out in the end.

Yesterday I was working, started at 3pm and finished at 6am. We didn't stop serving until 4:30am. As normal after a weekend night we went to late bar to have a few drinks. If there wasn't 24hr bars, we could have gone for a few social drinks after hours

By 3:30am our bar was about 1/3 full. The manager decided to close at 4:30am, he gave people 30min notice. No one ordered rounds of drinks or a few shots for the road before the closing. They just moved on to where ever else was open or jumped in the one of the many taxis that are looking for a fare and went home.

There is never a problem to get a taxi in this city after hours because everone isn't thrown out of bars and clubs at the same time. No big queues for food. Rarely drunken fights on the street.

limklad

Rabies wrote:

Do you think Ireland will ever introduce a 24hr alcohol serving license? .

No, I am not against it.

Rabies wrote:

Would it increase alcohol problems.
I think it would be a novelty at first, but most people would still finish up at 3-4am and go home.

In the beginning yes, but it will fade down. If they (the pols) are worried about alcoholics, then that argument is that alcoholics will find drink anywhere. That is a poor excuse for not having 24hr opening.

Most problems I see is when the pubs and nightclubs close down on time. Everyone is hang around, fights starts, cost of damage to property.

There is one particular garda who shuts all the pubs and nightclub at the same time and like clockwork, trouble ensues. The other guards allow the pubs to stagger the closing times, this allows everyone to go home when the taxi arrives back into town to take the next batch. I have often been in pubs up to 6 in the morning. I would not consider it a novelty as we folks in the country are already used to it.

The biggest problem is drink driving. People are stay at home drinking there which is 24hr opening, as long the booze is kept in stock.

limklad

Bradidup wrote:

In places like Ennis 1/3 of the pubs have gone bust since the smoking ban became inforced and thats because of a drop in patrons, you hardly think theres going to be a mad rush back to them if they keep their doors open 24 hours!!!

Are you sure it is the smoking ban?I did noticed the following
1/. The price of drink also increased :eek:
2/. Huge increased in cost of living. :mad:
3/. Increased costs of everything else.
4/. Poor payrises.:eek:
5/. Mortgate!!:(
3/. bigger crack down on drink driving.

My smoking friends agree with the smoking ban, many of them tried to give up smoking before the ban, but failed once they got to the pub. Other remaining smoker found that they could use the same clothes the following night in a different pub. There is not much smells on the clothers when they smoke outside.

CerebralCortex

guildofevil wrote:

No. the café bar idea was a watered down version of what needs to be done and yes, vested interests, i.e. publicans killed it. McDowell made no attempt to get rid of pub closing times, which is a much greater cause of our binge drinking culture than our crowded pubs.

Publicans don't want deregulation because that would mean they would have competition and they like the little cartel they call the vintners federation. Most of them don't want 24 hour drinking either, because they are making a killing from our binge drinking culture.

Imagine how much money they make at last orders. People who don't want the night to end, force down more drink than is wise and are kicked out into the night. Then the the publican can just close the pub and count the cash, without having to deal with the drunken mess those people are going to be in, once those drinks hit them.

If they didn't have the excuse of pub closing laws to help them kick people out into the street, they might actually have to let people drink at their own pace. Those people might drink less, or of they don't, they might still be on the premises when they get out of control. All that and later nights? No. The publicans have it sweet, just the way it is.

So, FlutterinBantam, are you still against 24 hour drinking? If you are, can you please tell me why the current system is better than one which would allow pubs to close when they please rather than at a mandated time.

I agree with this I have worked at door security in both night clubs and pubs and I have also grown up in a college town and it always seems like there is never enough time for people to knock back drinks. Its like a frantic race from a pub to a night club just so they can get the drinks in. I think guildofevil in effect has pointed out how regimented our drinking habits are like and how certain things have to be done to a certain extent there is no room for creativity when it comes to socialising.

Zillah

I must say, kudos to guildofevil, excellent logic and a fine display of temperance.

FlutterinBantam: Your posts are without a doubt some of the more crude, annoying and useless I have seen on boards. Be ashamed.

Rabies

I have noticed over the past few weeks that the customers in any of the late closing or 24hr bars I go to are mainly hospitality staff going for a few after work.

Not too many of the general public, sure ya get a few but not as many as I expected.

It is weird, there is isn't the expectation to knock back your drinks before you leave or have a shot or two for the road. No rush and the drinking is paced better.

Also, over here to have a bar license you must serve food. No need to run for McDs, Abrakadabra or where ever. Get some pub food while you drink, doesn't matter the time, they have to serve it This cuts down on people crowding around the nearest take away after hours.

Dave!

AFAIK that law about serving food was in place in Ireland previously... dunno why it's gone now. It's certainly handy when they serve food! Saves alot of hastle

guildofevil

Beer and food go together. I don't understand the artificial division that has developed in Ireland. I think it's another symptom of the virtual monopoly the publicans have. Why should they go to the trouble of doing food? People might drink less!

This is a good reason to go to the Porterhouse, or similar pub. The Porterhouse North, in Glasnevin do, what are quite possibly, the best Pizzas in Dublin and, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you can get a pint of one of their own beers and a slice of pizza of your choice, for €5.

Oh and tea and coffee. Why can't I get a cup of coffee in a pub at 10PM? Sometimes my better half and I want to switch to coffee for a bit. Most pubs will happily sell you a tea or coffee at lunch time or early evening, but not at night. Again, the Porterhouse is an exception to this rule. They will sell you a cappuccino, at 1AM, on a Saturday night, without batting an eye.

Bottle_of_Smoke

guildofevil wrote:

Beer and food go together. I don't understand the artificial division that has developed in Ireland. I think it's another symptom of the virtual monopoly the publicans have. Why should they go to the trouble of doing food? People might drink less!

This is a good reason to go to the Porterhouse, or similar pub. The Porterhouse North, in Glasnevin do, what are quite possibly, the best Pizzas in Dublin and, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you can get a pint of one of their own beers and a slice of pizza of your choice, for €5.

Oh and tea and coffee. Why can't I get a cup of coffee in a pub at 10PM? Sometimes my better half and I want to switch to coffee for a bit. Most pubs will happily sell you a tea or coffee at lunch time or early evening, but not at night. Again, the Porterhouse is an exception to this rule. They will sell you a cappuccino, at 1AM, on a Saturday night, without batting an eye.

Their pizzas are quality, the wafer thin base type, so damn good. Didn't know that about em serving coffees late either.

FlutterinBantam

Zillah wrote:

FlutterinBantam: Your posts are without a doubt some of the more crude, annoying and useless I have seen on boards. Be ashamed.

Explain yourself Sir.

That is a dastardly accusation to make,I am deeply upset.