Drinking on Good Friday

Dr.Bunson

In this age of a multi-national and multi-denominational Ireland, should pubs be closed on Good Friday?

What if your not Catholic and want to go to the pub on good Friday, but can't?

Or if you are a non-Catholic pub owner and aren't allowed to run your business and earn money because of a law derrived from a belief that is not yours?

- is that lawful? is that right?

wes

Its only a single day. I really don't think its that big a deal really.

I suppose its technically wrong to force it upon Non-Catholics. Really I don't think many would be bothered by a single day of the pubs being closed either as a patron or owner.

DarkJager

Its not so much the pubs being closed that bothers me, its the fact that every single place that sells drink is closed too. Its alright for some people to argue "can you not go one day without a drink?". But when you've been working all week and all you want to do Friday night is have a few beers but you can't because the ****ing christians are enjoying their "good Friday", its pretty ****..

Fratton Fred

They fact I can#t go to the pub is no grea hardship for me, I'm not a regular pub goer, but I don't believe that the Church should be able to dictate a state's laws and impose, through legislation, their will on people.

aidan24326

Fratton Fred wrote:

They fact I can#t go to the pub is no grea hardship for me, I'm not a regular pub goer, but I don't believe that the Church should be able to dictate a state's laws and impose, through legislation, their will on people.

That's it in a nutshell really. The issue isn't the fact that the pubs are closed but why they're closed. It's a national law being dictated by a church tradition. At this stage it is an outdated practice that appears to serve no useful purpose (not exactly the same as Christmas Day which does serve a purpose imo).

parsi

aidan24326 wrote:

(not exactly the same as Christmas Day which does serve a purpose imo).

And what purpose is that ?

aidan24326

parsi wrote:

And what purpose is that ?

Well Christmas is supposed to be a family occasion, it has taken on that meaning even for people who have little interest in the religious side of it. Keeping the pubs shut on that day ensures that people will, for the most part, stay at home with family that day (boring as it can sometimes be). It also gives the publicans and staff a chance to relax for the day like the rest of us. I know some doctors,nurses,guards etc. have to work but that's unavoidable.

parsi

That's also a national law being dictated by a tradition - but in this case it's a tradition that you sortof like Some people hate Christmas. Plenty religions don't celebrate it. Publicans and staff can relax during their rostered rest periods (it's not like they work 364 days on the trot) - it's not like we have to enshrine a "National Day Off for Publicans Day" in law....

homah_7ft

Perhaps the sale of alcohol could be prohibited on a random day or two every year. That would seem to tick all the boxes.

Crea

parsi wrote:

That's also a national law being dictated by a tradition - but in this case it's a tradition that you sortof like Some people hate Christmas. Plenty religions don't celebrate it. Publicans and staff can relax during their rostered rest periods (it's not like they work 364 days on the trot) - it's not like we have to enshrine a "National Day Off for Publicans Day" in law....

Some publicans do work every day if they own the pub. Days off can be few and far between. Are we going to give out that the banks were closed on Good Friday and on Christmas? No because getting pi**ed is SO important. They have 2 days a year where they are allowed to close their doors, what's the big deal?

homah_7ft

Crea wrote:

They have 2 days a year where they are allowed to close their doors, what's the big deal?

Surely they can close for any day they wish?

Fratton Fred

Crea wrote:

Some publicans do work every day if they own the pub. Days off can be few and far between. Are we going to give out that the banks were closed on Good Friday and on Christmas? No because getting pi**ed is SO important. They have 2 days a year where they are allowed to close their doors, what's the big deal?

do the banks have to close though?

If a bank started opening good friday and everyone moved their accounts because they wanted to go to the bank on a good friday, then the rest would surely follow, but the pubs musy have no choice.

Out of interest, what's it like around the border, do the pubs in the north get extra busy?

FTA69

The state's laws should have nothing to do with religion and should be strictly secular, if someone doesn't want to drink then that's their choice, they shouldn't force their crap on anyone else. I for one got thoroughly locked and enjoyed it immensely.

johnnyskeleton

For a lot of people, there is a fine tradition of heresey whereby people stock up on booze on the thursday and get drunk in someone's house on good friday. It makes the day that much more special because it is going against the spirit of the day.

singloud

I honestly don't see why it's a problem drinking on Good Friday, even if your a strict catholic the bible says in Psalm 104: 14-15, King David writes that God gave us wine in order to "gladden the heart of man."

And now there's so many atheists around it seems silly closing the pubs for that reason.

uberwolf

wes wrote:

I suppose its technically wrong to force it upon Non-Catholics.

state imposition of religious ettiquette, imagine the butchers were closed every friday.

It doesn't bother me too much, but I would support the removal of the ban

marco murphy

Stupid law.

phantom_lord

Poblachtach wrote:

Outdated Stupid law.

.

tallus

TBH who gives a toss, the pubs are only closed 2 days of the year. Granted it must feel weird for someone who hasn't grown up here and isn't used to it. It's easy to stock up on the thursday if you really feel you have to have a drink.

Zambia

tallus wrote:

TBH who gives a toss, the pubs are only closed 2 days of the year. Granted it must feel weird for someone who hasn't grown up here and isn't used to it. It's easy to stock up on the thursday if you really feel you have to have a drink.

Or drive up to Newry if your that Gagging

is_that_so

The fact that this thread has shown up in Politics sums up the attitude of some parts of the "voting" public. TBH who cares.

stovelid

It's irritating not to be able to get a drink but 10 or 15 fifteen years ago it would have bugged me a lot more. The country is so much more secular now that it's easier just to see it as a mark of respect for other's people's faith, no matter how ludicrous it is.

There are, after all, 363 other days in the year you can get tanked up on.

Cabaal

parsi wrote:

Publicans and staff can relax during their rostered rest periods (it's not like they work 364 days on the trot) - it's not like we have to enshrine a "National Day Off for Publicans Day" in law....

Really, I bet you've never owned a pub then...my family did and you don't get many days off at the end of the day, basically only Christmas day and good friday and thats it

Its hard going to be honest and its not as easy as people think, think I'm not talking from experience...we owned the pub for 75 years

parsi

Cabaal wrote:

Really, I bet you've never owned a pub then...my family did and you don't get many days off at the end of the day, basically only Christmas day and good friday and thats it

No I (and my family) never owned a pub. We're ordinary PAYE folk.

Did ye ever think of employing staff ? I find it hard to believe but it's good to know that the law ensures that poor publicans can get two days off a year.

Cabaal wrote:

Its hard going to be honest and its not as easy as people think, think I'm not talking from experience...we owned the pub for 75 years

Many jobs are hard going - teaching, nursing, binman, call centres, ....

Fremen

Part of the problem here is while the law may be outdated, there's not many people who will speak out against it.
I can't really imagine many politicians campaigning to get this law repealed, given Ireland's reputation as an over-indulgent nation when it comes to alcohol.

Malone

This is 2007 please change that stupid law.

DublinWriter

stovelid wrote:

There are, after all, 363 other days in the year you can get tanked up on.

Exactly. Get over it.

I'm not relgious, I drink and I really don't care. It's always been a great excuse to throw a house party (in someone else's house!).

Only in Ireland would someone complain about pubs not being open 1/365th of the time.

nzamcdza

speration of church and state, end of.

Zombrex

Dr.Bunson wrote:

In this age of a multi-national and multi-denominational Ireland, should pubs be closed on Good Friday?

Speaking as an atheist, no its silly.

If someone doesn't want to drink they aren't being forced to. The very fact that you have to make a law stopping Catholics from drinking on Good Friday shows how stupid the whole thing is. What is the point? If a catholic doesn't want to drink then just don't drink. If they want to drink then that is up to them.

Zombrex

Fremen wrote:

Part of the problem here is while the law may be outdated, there's not many people who will speak out against it.

Plus if you speak out against it you get met with a torrent of "Stop complaining!" or "Whats the big fecking deal, stop making it into a big fecking deal, its such a small deal, God I can't believe you are making such a big deal over this!" responses :rolleyes:

Ireland is one of the few western countries where "I know its stupid but sure lets just leave it as it is" is a respected political standpoint.

Nevyn

homah_7ft wrote:

Surely they can close for any day they wish?

Actually not being open to provide service can go against them as a complaint and they have fines placed against them or it can be said the licience has lapsed.