One Year Later: Ireland's Good Friday Drinking Ban Lifted
Posted by ShamrockCraic on 18th Apr 2019
From 1927 through 2017 no pubs anywhere in Ireland opened on Good Friday. But that all changed last year when the Dáil, Ireland’s lower house of parliament, voted in favor of lifting the ban in service of Easter tourism.
“Tourism makes a much greater contribution to our economy and this is particularly true during holidays, such as the busy Easter period,” tourism minister David Stanton told the BBC at the time.
According to one study done by Irish bank AIB, spending on bars and restaurants jumped 43% on Good Friday 2018 compared to 2017.
The lifting of the Good Friday ban marks the second time a holy day’s drinking laws have been loosened in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day was another day in which pubs were required to remain shuttered, but that changed in the 1960s. Both days, as well as Christmas Day, were originally part of the 1927 Intoxicating Liquor Act, which barred restaurants and drinking establishments (with notable loopholes for national rail passengers, who can purchase alcoholic beverages on board) from opening on such religious days.
Still, despite the boon to tourism and apparent increase in revenue, not everyone in Ireland wanted the law to be repealed.
“Are we saying that the only tourists we want are those who can't last 24 hours without buying a drink in a public house?” Maureen O’Sullivan, a member of the Dáil, said. “With this bill what message are we sending out? I actually think we could do with a few Good Fridays throughout the year.”
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What do you think? Should Irish pubs remain closed on Good Friday to observe religious devotion? Let us know in the comments below! And, if you can’t get to Ireland this Easter, scroll down to check out some of our best-selling Guinness and Bushmills merchandise to order this holiday season.
GUINNESS PULLOVER HOODIE
If the weather is a bit rough outdoors Good Friday, this Guinness green hoodie gives an extra layer in support of all Irish publicans. It is made of a comfortable cotton and polyester blend that will keep you extra warm with an adjustable drawstring hood to insulate the head and a front kangaroo pouch pocket to shield the hands from the cold.
GUINNESS T-SHIRT WITH FOREIGN EXTRA STOUT LOGO
Just as Guinness Foreign Extra Stout was launched little by little into an outside world all too ready to fall in love with it, we think you’ll fall in love with this t-shirt that celebrates its legacy. With its hard rock and butterfly pattern, it embodies the best of the spring and Easter season while staying true to its roots in dark ale.
SET OF TWO GUINNESS IRELAND COLLECTION PINT GLASSES
This old school set of two pint glasses from the Guinness Ireland Collection is the perfect thing for any Guinness fan who wants to add some quality glassware to their dining collection.