This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Ireland lifted a nine-decade ban on serving alcohol on Good Friday, prompting an early flurry of drinkers eager to experience the novelty of ordering a pint on the holy day.



Brian Conlon, of Slattery’s Bar on Capel Street in central Dublin was one of the first to pull a legal Good Friday pint. “It was busier than usual this morning. When I opened up at 7am there were queues at the front door,” he said. “I think people were more coming in for the novelty factor that it was the first time in 90-odd years that you could legally have a drink.”

He said many of the punters were tourists who had arrived in Dublin and needed to wait until lunchtime to check in to hotels.

“They are all in having pints, they are all having breakfast – that option wouldn’t have been there last year, so I think it’s a great thing,” he said.

Jim Croke, one of Slattery’s regulars, welcomed the lifting of the ban. “It’s very good,” he said. “It’s great for tourism and it’s good for the country.”

The intoxicating liquor act, which was voted through the Dáil in January, overturned a ban that had existed since 1927. There were some exceptions to the ban, including people attending theatre shows or sports events. A ban on drinking on St Patrick’s Day was lifted in the 1960s.

Friday’s move follows a long campaign by a hospitality industry infuriated by the lost revenue.