A few years ago I shared a mini-bus taxi into town from the Airport with a group of English lads I'd gotten chatting to. It was the early evening and they were all spruced up for a night on the tiles. Raring to go, as it were. I'll never forget the looks on their faces when the driver told them the pubs were closed on Good Friday. "You're having us on, mate!" "Yeah, right. Pubs closed in Dublin!" "Don't mind him, he's taking the piss out of us". And so on in a similar vein until we reached Dorset Street and the grim realisation that there was no drink to be had eventually dawned much to their extreme annoyance.

Irish people on the other hand typically stock up on drink like the armageddon is upon us and spend Good Friday at home. I remember seeing an old teacher of mine in the supermarket the day before one with an entire trolley laden with every type of intoxicating beverage in existence. Friends of mine make it their business to stick it to the man and get horribly drunk on the Lords' day. Anyway it seems moves are afoot to get rid of one of the last vestiges of Catholic Ireland enshrined in legislation.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/pub-owners-raise-bar-in-b etc ...

I think it's no harm. Let's face it - most people (especially from the UK) don't visit Dublin for any reason other than the pubs and frankly what little else we have in the way of entertainment leaves a lot to be desired.

Sure isn't some group petitioning the government to allow alcohol to be sold this Friday cos of the match that will be on.

i think at this stage we are used to it.2 days like good friday and xmas day doesnt bother me too much that pubs etc are closed.

I kinda like it. It doesn't make much difference to my life anyways.

It would be weird if it was done away with. Leave it as it is!

I think it's more from the point of view of the tourist trade. The Irish seem to completely ignore the sentiment.

I agree. Funnily enough, it has never bothered me. It's part of our tradition!

I know, but in Germany, many shops are closed on Sundays. Should they open them on Sundays because of tourism?

Our tradition of pandering to the Catholic Church hierarchy?

ther was a time in ireland when the pubs had to remain closed on st patricks day

I can remember the horrors of the holy-hour

It is only two days of the year pubs are shut are employees of pubs not entitled to time off too.

No.

I never understood why the pubs are shut on good Friday, what is wrong with choice, if you are a devout catholic no problem stay at home and pray, I am not so why should I.

I too stock up and play a game of cards somewhere, I don't normally gamble, so the day makes me sin.

That sums it up well.

I can go for weeks or even months without wanting or needing to see the inside of a pub, but I resent any controls being maintained by the Catholic church - especially now. It seems crazy that people can go and do a full days work on Good Friday, but they cannot choose to go and have a drink when the day is over.

I know we are seen as very catholic here in Ireland but I had the experience of seeing pubs closed in Christchurch, NZ on Easter Sunday!!! Yes, nobody had told me. I got showered and spruced up for a good days drinking. Once I got into the city centre, I wondered why all the pubs were closed. A woman informed me that this was normal for Easter Sunday.
Anyway, after alot of walking and enquiring, I found an "Irish pub" that was opened. However, alcohol could not be purchased without buying food first. With that, I had 6 packs of crisps to go with my 6 pints, lol.