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MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar has today announced that Irish lighthouses will be the focus of a new €2.5 million tourism and job creation initiative.
The project is being funded by the European Union and will eventually see up to 20 lighthouses, north and south, opened up to tourists. Today the department said each of the country’s 75 operating lighthouses have accommodation attached – in some cases up to five houses – and this can now be offered to tourists.
The first phase will involve the following five lighthouses:
(Image: Nick/Flickr)
(Telping/Flickr)
(Image: Theyoungones1994/Flickr)
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
(Image: Tony Bowden/Flickr)
The project will see 60 jobs supported during the construction period and ten new jobs created when facilities become operational.
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I don’t agree with the ban. On the other hand I think it’s kind of sad how people act like they can’t manage to go one Friday without a drink
I can’t be the only person who wouldn’t be bothered to have a drink most Fridays, but find that the sight of closed pubs and cloths drawn over the wine aisle makes me intent on opening a bottle.
Then if thats the case why not have a ban on mobile phones on some random day…. while we are at it lets have a ban on cars for a day and so and so on… sure according to your point its kind of sad we cant manage to go one day without them. Its a completely ridiculous ban and just shows the church still do wield some power in the 21st century.
The only thing I’m having today is a pint of milk and 2 pieces of Donegal catch as a mark of respect for that lad who was taken down in his prime over 2000 years ago. He did it for us so surely we can stay off the beer for one day!
He did it for Christians. I couldn’t care less if the pubs are closed today and hope the staff have a nice day off. However I should be able to go for a pint if I want to. Any law based on religion should be struck down
It’s an absolute joke for tourists… they dont get to drink because of our out of date whack job religious beliefs…
If any law based on religion should be struck off then that would include the laws giving days off on religious festivals such as Christmas , Easter and St Patrick’s day, you can’t just pick and choose what aspects you want and disagree with those you don’t
No gratitude, Billy,
He did it for all of us. Just because you’ve chosen to go to hell doesn’t mean you weren’t given a chance.
I don’t drink anyway so it’s no hardship but the only reason this law exists is because of religion and religious influences have no place in legislation
This is hilarious. Pick and choose is exactly what all religious people do. Unless you agree with the death penalty for working on a Sunday or disrespecting your parents.
They would, as hotels can still serve drink.
Holy days are gone a long time. These days off you speak off are public/bank holidays. A bit mad to say that we should move these holidays because they are associated with religious festivals, I don’t see how you can make any connection between that and good Friday drinking ban.
Patrick, going without your phone or your car for one day is completely different to not having a drink for one day. In our contemporary way of life cars and phones are almost an extension of ourselves, we actually need them everyday. If you feel you need a drink everyday and can’t take one day off it then you probably have a drinking problem.
It speaks to tourists as Ireland not open to business…..
How does it do that?
Hotels are closed as well?
Paul – what is it you have against choice? Anything that involves people making their own choices you seem to be against. I do not drink at all, but if people want to purchase alcohol, why should they be prohibited?
Thailand also has days where the sale of alcohol isn’t permitted. In 2013 tourism was just over 20% of it’s GDP. So Ireland is not unique in this regard and most tourists won’t care if a pub is closed for a day (excluding stag and hen parties of course)
This will be changed the next time the government re examines the licencing laws in Ireland.
Unfortunately there is little appetite at the moment and that doesn’t look like it will change any time soon.
It’s not so bad anyway, party at mine tonight.
10.27pm in NZ , pubs been closed all day here too , as well as supermarkets and most other businesses , and yet the sky hasn’t fallen. Funnily enough NZ has never been a Catholic country but a very tolerant society , those who have been screaming about tolerance over the past few months over various social issues , would do well to put that tolerance into practice.
We are a secular country not a catholic country, why do we even have this law? Fed up of the catholic agenda being forced upon people who are not that way inclined. If you are a catholic who wishes not to drink alcohol or eat red meat then good for you. Interesting that the butchers don’t close today!!
“In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the people of Éire,
Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,
Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation,
And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations,
Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.”
Niall – Thailand also has an autocratic monarchy, should we get one of those too?
Ugly – so we need to be more tolerant of religious intolerance? Is that it?
@Paul Fahey No I don’t think we should but thanks for completely missing the point of my comment.
Paul – where does it say in that, that no public house can sell intoxicating liquor on this day, the day the followers and worshippers a of Jesus, spat on him, threw stones at him, nailed him to a cross, stuck a crown of thorns on his head and then stuck a spike into his side?
Lisa. Over 85% of the population are RC. This is very much a Catholic country.
Paul, I think you would find they weren’t “followers” of Jesus, rather his persecutors, much like the rabble on here today – not much has changed in ~2000 years it seems.
As I don’t drink any day of the year. It does not effect me . but I think the ban should be reexamined as times are different now than they were decades ago.
Course they are Tony. These are the same people who have sex before marriage and use contraception. The vast majority of Catholics are just cultural, how else do you explain empty churches on a Sunday?
What % are really believers (i.e go to mass all the time and believe the teachings of the church including transubstantiation etc.)? The Catholic Church is a vile institution. If people believe in god that’s a different issue but the Catholic Church is thankfully waning.
Hic…!! – What ban…??
Jesus’ first recorded miracle in the bible is turning water into wine when they’d drunk the reception dry.. the Man Himself liked a drink.
Yes, I completely agree with that. I’d just argue that St Patrick’s Day is a national holiday more than a religious one: we don’t get St Brigid’s Day off, for example.
It’s a case of want what you can’t have, temptation is a killer Emily ;)
liam, most tourists stay in hotels so they can drink their little hearts out if they want and they would be mature enough to respect the laws and customs of the country they are visiting….
I think it’s less than 85% & how many practice as more & more parents don’t get children christened. That says a lot for R.C. We need to move with the times its the 21st century
oh thats nice i was the 666 liker, anyways enjoying a beer here, they should rename it to great friday!
Jesus never existed. It’s a myth. See here
Tony if you scratched beneath the surface, I’d say that percentage would be much lower. Numbers attending mass are dropping, the average age of mass goers is 60+ don’t think the younger generations will follow suit.
This law is completely out dated and we need to move with the times and change it.
Lorcmul, easy solution to that would be to replace one superstition with another, so why not have those days off for Santa and the Easter bunny?simples
There’s no bam on alcohol, if I want a drink I can get one from my fridge!
As a nation of alcoholics we should embrace our alcoholic culture not fight it, reduce taxes on alcohol, open the pubs 365 days a year and let us drink like the alcoholic Irish that we are!
You don’t see any other nation on the planet fighting their cultures, why should we, the Irish, be any different?
Paul you’ve just shown exactly why the Irish constitution is meaningless to me as it stands. Written with more than a little help from the catholic hierarchy it is long past its sell by date. I and many others do not believe in a holy trinity or not even the existence of jesus.
But they are Maggie. You may not like it but it is still very much a Catholic country.
Arthur,
You have 2 choices.
1. Move
2. Change it.
Tony, what do you base your claim? Probably less than half go to Mass (parts of cities it’s 10%), 90% use contraception, engage in sex outside marriage and do not believe Homosexuality is immoral, a majority believe in divorce, the young are certainly mostly agnostic or atheist. Being christened as an infant doesn’t make you a Catholic. I was christened and I’m a militant Atheist.
I’m sure you managed to get to an off license during the day yesterday and all week leading up to today.
I’m sure tourists can get a beer in what ever hotel they are staying in.
If you insist on missing the point, there’s no point talking to you.
Simon how would you feel if you couldn’t buy milk or bread on a certain day or cigarettes. For me it’s the fact that it’s religious thing forced on the whole country.
Oh Paul. Hell doesn’t exist. Silly.
seperate church and state,why not work Good Friday,Paddys day and Christmas and all those other days,be careful what You wish for.
Sure for someone who believes in Jesus, absolutely you should do it but not everyone believes in Jesus.
And all the shops are closed on Easter Sunday
It is a complete sham and then most people were off work today
Easter should be banned
Billy,
Joan Burton has to come from somewhere.
Surely you would engage brain, plan and buy what you need the day before. Hope this helps the hard of thinking.
Standing room only yesterday in our local church for the Good Friday service.
The only way the law should relate to religion is by granting you freedom to practice it within the confines of the rest of our laws and protection from persecution for doing so.
Great point Caráin.
I wonder could it be argued the licensing law as it relates to Good Friday (and Xmas day) is unconstitutional. The constitution says that the State guarantees not to endow or favour any religion.
I wonder what the general publics reaction would be if the Pubs were legally obliged to close for Eid or Hanukkah!?
Ciarán,
That is bonkers argument. Its like arguing that not working on Sundays is discrimination. Its no illegal to drink. Anyway this country needs a few days when alcohol is not consumed.So ban is in the social interests not religious. And the interests of society as a whole sometimes come ahead of personal rights.
The irony is the two days the pubs are closed are the two days people consume the most drink.
So no public holidays on Christmas Day or Easter Monday, Ciarán? No Sunday working-hours legislation?
These things are scarcely religious traditions anymore. They are more public traditions. In the same way, the October public holiday (Halloween) and the May public holiday (Bealtaine) no longer have any religious meaning.
Most are fun occasions (day off work and festive activities). One is dour (no time off work and no drinking).
Is it actually that hard to have one day of the year set aside for public temperance?
Yes because it makes me laugh at how pathetic this country is regarding alcohol!
It makes me laugh how pathetic this country is about Religion.
Personally I’m agnostic and would never be as toxic or spiteful in my attitude toward religion like many of the atheists on here but if religion gets me a few extra days off throughout the year then I shall embrace it with open arms.
Who’s toxic and Spiteful? That’s my opinion and I believe it to be true.
We don’t get more days off than explicitly secular countries. In any case, all the major Christian festivals predate Christianity.
Sure religion is pathetic the world over really
That’s right Mark, along with skin colour, creed, sexuality, hair colour, countries, football teams, size etc etc. Remove all these and we would have a great planet.
We really would, live be so easy & great wouldn’t it, boring but so so easy…..
paranoid too dublinguy
Awww boo hoo I can’t drink for one measly day! Get a life people
I totally agree with you Jeff, but i think the bigger issue is people not having the option of going for a pint after work today,all because of an outdated law which was influenced by a highly corrupt and outdated organisation like the church
Gavin’s right. It’s not about not being able to drink, it’s about the church still having a say in how our country is ran. 36 people so far have green thumbed your comment, how many of them think church have no place interfering in things like marriage equality or abortion? Why is this any different? There’s also a lot of other arguments for removing the law like tourism and increased revenue. The only argument against seems to be “ah, sure can you not stay off it for one day?”.
If we remove the ban for good Friday, we’d also have to remove it for Christmas day. It’s only 2 days a year and a relief for many publicans. As for moving towards complete secularism, the upshot of that would be the removal of Easter Monday, Christmas day and st Patrick’s day as public holidays.
We could do that, then we can just simply reinstate them as the national day public holiday. The spring long weekend, and the end of year two day public holiday. Sorted.
Aw boo hoo Jesus is dead, get a life Jeff.
Spoiler alert John:
He is not dead – all will be revelled on Sunday!
Is it on Netflix?
No two days when you count Christmas day
Paddys day is a celebration of being Irish. We get pissed as farts that day as well
The question should not be whether you agree with it or not. The question should be whether your opinion is sufficient to tell other people what they can and cannot do.
We don’t live in a libertarian free for all. Its like shops closing on Sundays. In Germany its a strict rule and a rule that is very good for society and not a religious custom.
The abolishment of one rule whose origins lies in organized religion (ie make-believe) would, hardly make us an anarchy. It would on the ther hand move down the spectrum from dictatorship. To force others to act against their desires via the law need bloody good evidence to back it up, whereas opinions based on vague anecdotes about shops in Germany is not sufficient to tell me when and when not I can go out and buy a bottle of wine! I like shops being open on Sunday!
New poll: Do you like Ice cream?
I don’t know
i don’t know
you beat me to it!
Icecream is great for the kids. Especially in the beer garden on Good Friday while the parents drink the day away.
This countries two biggest mistakes or crutches. Religion & alcohol .
I never got the whole good Friday thing. So what if you can’t buy a drink on that day. You probably didn’t buy drink the previous three days before it either.
Yes and we should have more Ice cream days
But those 3 days weren’t Friday.
Speak for yourself, hiccup….
Silly archaic law, but really, I was shopping yesterday (not in Dunnes) and there were people literally stocking trolleys full of booze, as if one day would kill them!
I seen you in Dunnes
What were you doing there, Liam?
Hopefully he was buying a dictionary.
Prohibition based on religious grounds simply wouldn’t be tolerated if it were brought in now. So why do we still tolerate the good friday ban?
We shouldn’t have a Seanad in that case either
It is a mistake to drive society into some 24/7 US style free for all.
It was brought in as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
I think when it comes to alcohol on good Friday its a personal choice, if pubs want to open let them, we all know a lot of pubs have the back door open. When I was doing work experience in a women’s refuge the two busiest days of the yr were good Friday and Xmas day, because there was no alcohol available and tempers would be high.
That is the first time that I heard the claim that drinks reduces violence….
Christmas day is a day associated with domestic violence as families are together, not due to any shortage of alcohol. Alcohol consumption sky rockets over Christmas.
500+ people agree? Seriously, who are these people? ‘Yes please take away my freedom to choose’… Doesn’t bother me I wouldn’t be drinking tonight anyway but surely in a free society people should have the choice?
Red thumbs? Basically your saying freedom of choice is bad? Really?
I think those who said yes, aren’t thinking ‘Yes please take away my freedom to choose’, it would more close to “Yes, please enforce my beliefs on others and take away their freedom to choose”
Too much choice causes choice-anxiety and depression as a person feels overwhelmed with deductions to make. The state telling you what to do reduces this. Seriously, look it up.
* decisions
Don’t agree with it at all. Already started. Here’s my breakfast:
Had to make do with wine as there’s nothing else in the house. But it’s Easter after all, so I suppose wine is appropriate after all.
Yes. because I am in work today and tomorrow and I am admittedly a selfish paaag
You still have the guns out Dennis.
Drinking alcohol and eating meat on good Friday, you’re going to hell. However, if you go rape a child the good ol RCC will be ok with that.
@Barry Scott,
Hey who needs facts when I give my rant! Next time fact check your comments.
God said no meat on good Friday. What do the Irish do. Close the pubs and not the butchers. Face pam
White wine with black pudding. OMG, that’s so totally last century, dude!
Lol “face pam”
Yeah, it’s one day!!! And one of the few days left religious/Irish thats still honoured. But no doubt in a few years all the shops will be open for Christmas, alcohol will be sold on good Friday and people will moan that we have no culture left etc etc but we will probably shut down for Ramadam and stop displaying the baby Jesus cribs at Christmas. and people will wonder why…..
Dramatic much?
Well Angela, considering all biblical scholars and ex-pope Ratzinger agree that Jesus wasn’t born in December, perhaps removing the cribs would make a lot of sense. People won’t moan about ‘losing our culture’, only the bead-rattlers will, who are thankfully moving on.
Guinness and Steak breakfast.
Correct me if I’m wrong but do Priest have wine in mass of a Good Friday?
Not if they are catholic. Transubstantiation and all that.
You have shown me the light! I didn’t realise the communion prayer changed the chemical make up of the wine, took the alcohol out of it and changed it into actual blood. All hail Jebus!
On a side note do you think this might be a solution to blood shortages for blood transfusions?
Depends what blood type jebus is. I’d say being god and all, he’d be a universal doner.
They just have stations of the cross (at least where I live) And when I first saw this discussion I thought that it’s what we’ve always had but now looking at it, I think pubs and people should have the choice to drink. I’m not gonna drink because I’m under eighteen and I will never drink on Good Friday but if you want to, you should have the option. I know that my family won’t eat meat or drink alcohol because that’s our beliefs but everyone has their own beliefs. That doesn’t mean we get to pick and choose what we believe though.
Mass is never celebrated on Good Friday.
That’s true Yako there’s still communion though with the Good Friday Liturgy. Now get back in your box.
How many of you are off work today because of religion and are quite happy to accept the day off ?? Just sayin
I’d look like a plumb standing outside my locked office all day.
Tech – Good Friday is not actually a public holiday so many people will still be required to work.
I do realise that sorry i meant for those that have it off lol
Tech – secular countries also get public/bank holidays.
I rarely drink on a Friday so I’m really not bothered but if I did want to go for a pint I think I should be able to make my own decision.
We have this same debate every year and still nothing changes ..if you don’t want to buy drink on Good Friday then don’t but it should not prevent someone else from doing do ..hopefully this ridiculous tradition will be gone in few years but I highly doubt it.
For visitors its a bit like us going to The Canneries and finding out all beach are closed today.
That’s it exactly, every tourist is just here for a pub, Ireland has nothing else to give….
@ray. I was in the canaries on 5th January and almost everything was shut as it’s a religious holiday. Only place open to eat was our hotel. Didn’t affect tourism. Anyway, most hotels have a bar which is open to residents. Think what impacts tourists more is the normal price of drink in the pubs and if the government gets its way, a minimum charge of €9 for a bottle of wine in an off licence.
I think it’s more of a disgrace there are a lot of hospital appointments not scheduled over Easter
I think its a disgrace that militant atheists are given holidays at Easter, Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day.
lone – why is it a disgrace? I think it is disgraceful that Christianity stole them from others and now claim them to be their own.
Even this Jesus fella is not very original:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus
Jesus said NOT to eat meat during easter, so instead of closing down the butchers we’ve closed down the off license. And what about people who are not catholics or who are catholics but chooses to drink, being this a free country?
I have absolutely no problem with pubs closing for a day, it’s the fact that it is dictated by the Catholic Church that vexes me.
I don’t see any dictates. In fact I doubt they have position on the specific law. I see a Catholic custom (like the concept of a weekend) which has morphed into secular tradition with social benefits.
I think they should stay closed. Not for any religious grounds though. The party’s that spring up in lieu of the pubs being open, are usually one of the best nights of the year!
Also, the pubs make a decent chunk of their money in off license sales on the Thursday, so it can’t be too harmful.
I disagree with the whole ban on drink being sold of a good Friday due to religious reasons, fair enough if every single Irish citizen was an out and out devout Catholic but I think if you take out the opinions of the 50+ age bracket- simply because there a different and old fashioned Catholic era,and ask the younger people they will agree this ban is a load of cock and bull . Time for a change
For a country that has a fondness for the drink it actually makes sense to have a day like this. Give people a chance to reflect, or even better, encourage businesses to come up with alternative forms of entertainment rather than just drink. Just because the idea came from religion does not mean its a bad idea. Most people don’t get up in arms at Christmas, with all the hassle it involves (granted you have a choice to not celebrate Christmas, but try explaining that one to your kids.) so for all the adults out there who are complaining about this stupid forced religious teaching, why not grow up and see the good side of it and send a message to younger people, who look up to us and embrace a day without drink as a act of solidarity.
I thought it was a day of fasting, so why not close the butchers, why the pubs?
No, if only from a point of discrimination. The state is forcing a drink ban ruling on people not a Catholic persuasion. Ireland now is a far more multi-cultural, multi-religious (and atheist) society. The drink ban is a forcing of one of that religions notions down undemocratic on the rest.
Besides it effecting tourism, it shows the allowing religion to totally interfere in the running of the state. What has happened to separation of church and state? Once again we find a government espousing one thing – then doing another!
Its one day, get over it!!!
Speaking as somehow who has see how the children of (some) alcoholics turn out, if one drunk manages to get a few hours of clarity today that somehow triggers the will to start getting his life, it’s worth our small inconvenience in the interests of every innocent person in his life who will otherwise grow up mentally scared.
Why not permanently ban it then Neal?
If even one child of an alcoholic benefited from a total ban of alcohol wouldn’t it be worth it???
Someone please think of the children.
I think it’s completely outdated, I know plenty of elderly people who live alone and like to meet up with like minded people for a pint and a chat and to be told they can’t because of some ancient rule is typical of this country.
Seems to me it’s just a trick to increase alcohol sales. In Lidl yesterday the amount of beer and vodka in the queue in front of me was beyond believable.
I agree that people should be ABLE to manage a day without drink.
But they shouldn’t have it forcefully imposed on them based on a religious holiday. Especially one which isn’t even a State holiday at all.
For the religious out there, you should absolutely be completely free to abstain from drinking. But what do you really get out of forcing the irreligious to do likewise?
Not alone is the sale of alcohol banned, the display for sale is also against the law. Was in Tescos this morning. Entire shelves were covered in black plastic sheeting. Couldn’t believe the extraordinary measures taken to conceal the alcohol from the view of the public due to the draconian laws in this country. What a laughing spectacle for anyone visiting!!!
In these modern times it has no place,,,we are hugely dependant on tourism in this country and what do we do,,,close our doors..
There is more to do in Ireland than go to the pub! I’m sure any well travelled or clued in tourist would know the pubs close today anyway & would schedule a visit around it if they were that intent on visiting a pub ‘& having the craic’
I am sick to death of alcohol being used as only selling point of Ireland. It actually turns many visitors off.
Im not religious but it doesn’t bother me. Considering its a good Friday its a good excuse for a good party. Sound good? Making sure you get a good lot of alcohol the day before.
Gasping
I often think of the child on days like today, for some today and christmas day are the only days they spend as a Family.
I’m not religious but Jasus I think we can go one day without a drink.
Well in that case let’s just pick a random day to close the pubs with no religious significance that isn’t a Friday….. I proposed the 21th of March(sure people are sick of drinking after Patrick’s day)
I don’t drink and I don’t agree with the ban. We should end all these Catholic based laws & traditions from society. I’m also going to enjoy a rasher sandwich later out of spite!!!
There should be a referendum to get rid of it. If you wish to follow religious ways then you can abstain from drinking but if you wish to go to the pub then you should have the choice as well, likewise the publican(s) can decide if they wish to open on that day.
Wow, such radical atheist neck-beards .. Eating meat and drinking alcohol. Since when is being gluttonous admirable?
I’m living in the states and lots of bars and restaurants will be closed over the easter as people spend time with their families. Simple as that.
The lost revenue argument is crass and unconvincing. We are a society and not a economy. It is extremely healthy for our country to have the occasional time out from alcohol. I admire the fact that in central Europe nearly all shops are closed on Sunday as Sunday is considered a day free from work. The welfare of society should sometimes come above the rights of individuals and economic concerns.
It is probably less popular with stag or hen parties coming over on the boat.
We’re either a secular state or we are not. Simple as.
Nope. By that logic Christmas must be banned. We are pluralist state not secular. Secular implies ramming one specific ideology down people throats. With pluralism you get balance.
As a barman I have to day I think it should be removed not on chrsitmas day but yes on good Friday, Friday is a busy day for all bars and the fact for me is every year I’m down a days pay this week which is annoying being that Friday and Saturday is a guaranteed nights work for me every week, this week I’m down a nights work because of it!
All the people saying we should get rid if holidays if we get rid of Good Fridays drink ban, Many of the Christian holidays date back to Pagan times. Christmas -Winter Solstice
St Patricks Day/ Easter – Ostara
Halloween – Samhain
And also worldwide many countries don’t do the whole drink ban but they do celebrate Christmas.
He turned water into wine… I somehow doubt he’s a problem with a few people knocking back a few jars, sure everyone does it after funerals, don’t they?
Every year!
It’s one day, get on with it.
Drink if you want just not in a pub.
Drink twice as much tomorrow & Sunday in a pub if you feel sorry for the publicans.
I won’t be having a drink today because I choose not to. Having it forced on me is wrong. Especially when its based on a religion I don’t subscribe to.
Archaic rule from a day when the Church actually mattered. People should be free to go to the pub whenever they want
The country has more important issues around Good Friday than the sale of alcohol, like how there’s no postal service for 4 days.
Sure what’s one day!!!!
Regardless of where it came from, it is an Irish tradition that we have one day a year where we all stay away from the booze. That is a good tradition and one worth maintaining for our society.
I completely disagree with the ban, not because I can’t have a drink but because of the financial damage it does to businesses. Bar, clubs, restaurants, taxis and other supporting businesses all suffer losses due to this archaic law.
It’s only one day. Get over it in all fairness. We really are a sad lot.
It’s the principle of being banned from doing something legal for religious reasons and businesses and social lives being put out as a result. Tolerating a shitty law from another era just because “It’s only one day” is a pretty sad attitude.
Equally those saying “We could do with a day away from the drink, it brings families together etc” are also dumb reasons since that isn’t why the law is there.
WHAT!!! Everyone calm down. Please just calm down…. Oh Lord if you listening HELP!!!!!!!
I’m all in favour of the ban being retained, the way it winds up the Dawkinsian Taliban’s knickers is utterly worth giving up a Friday pissup for!
I think the ban is a great thing, there are 52 Fridays in the year and you can bet your bottom dollar good Friday is the one where friends get together and enjoy a few drinks along with a game of cards or something, I know it’s for silly outdated religious reasons but one thing’s for sure if you take a drink and are not otherwise engaged you’ll be enjoying a few on good Friday
It’s always fun to surprise your liver every now and again.
If you feel strongly about the will of the state and church being imposed on you on this day do something about it ,lobby your td and government to change the law , and while we are at it lobby for the blasphemy laws to be repealed.
It’s only been 12 months since the last good Friday ban , will it be still here next year ? Probably .
I don’t really agree with it, but I don’t really have a problem with it either.
It has become a Good Friday ritual – the poll of banning alcohol. Build a bridge and get over it. Just one day like!
There’s always an alternative! :)
Nanny doesn’t want us to go to the pub on Good Friday.
If we didn’t have nanna looking after us and telling us what to do we’d all be homeless junkies.
God almighty all the god haters throwing a strop because they can’t have a beer today ! You must have little going on in your lives if this upsets you. I don’t remember anyone protesting about Christmas either !
I’m not planning on drinking today anyway but I won’t have my choices dictated to me by a religious organisation. Principle of it. Separation of church and state.
There is always an alternative! :)
Good Friday is great fun. To change the law would spoil it.
Why would there even be a don’t know option?
I was brought up living above a family run pub and think it should remain closed . Its one of the few days the whole famaily can spend together and its the same same for many of the familys who’s perents spend to many days sitting at a bar counter.
Why don’t you include an “I don’t care” option. None of the given options represent my view. This can be said for most of your polls
have your say