Irish pubs will open on Good Friday

Posted on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 02:51 PM

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Snakes alive! A centuries old tradition is toast this Good Friday: Irish pubs will stay open all day!

Until now Good Friday has been completely off-limits as one of the only two "dry" days in the Irish calendar, the other being Christmas Day, when Irish pubs lock their doors and do without business.

But on Tuesday a Limerick judge ruled that the city's 110 pubs can stay open this April 2 because the city is hosting a major Irish rugby match attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

The local public has overwhelmingly backed the unprecedented move, but Roman Catholic leaders are aghast.

Good Friday is the most solemn day in the Catholic calendar, it marks the day when Jesus Christ was crucified. Local clergy are astonished by the judge's ruling and are making no secret of their objections.

The monks who live near Limerick's rugby stadium said today that they will be praying and protesting outside the gates as 26,000 rugby fans arrive.

It's a case of piety for religions sake but Euros for God's sake.

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maggiebags | Mar 26, 2010, 06:04 PM EDT

Way to go! Christ won't object and the pub owners won't have to lose business in this time of diminishing finances. Cripes sake Simplesandy it has always rained in Ireland - that is part of the beauty - if you don't like it go back to America.

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missspook1994 | Mar 26, 2010, 01:42 PM EDT

I am not surprised that the Catholic Church would rather stand outside the stadium and protest than join the 21st century and be glad of the revenue this will bring in these dire times. Beer won't be the only thing people will spend money on.

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missspook1994 | Mar 26, 2010, 11:52 AM EDT

All religious leaders are hypocrites, but the catholic clergy takes hypocrisy to new heights. And to simplesandy, you're pathatic.

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simplesandy | Mar 26, 2010, 09:48 AM EDT

This is so sad , that a sport weighs over God...what next? and here I am living here in Ireland from America thinking this is as close to heaven as I am going to get...but it is changing all over the world and Ireland is no different....sad sad sad... no wonder it is raining so much in Ireland...God and all the angels are crying....

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mrkennedy | Mar 26, 2010, 09:16 AM EDT

This shouldn't be shocking news. Since a massive number of employees from breweries have been let go because of the decline in drinking in Ireland the pubs have to generate business and with religion on the decline why not open on Good Friday!!

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dkwitcoski | Mar 26, 2010, 08:47 AM EDT

The Roman Catholic leaders have more to be aghast over than the fact the pubs in Limerick are going to be open on Good Friday. They need to be more concerned with what their own are doing.

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kickstar | Mar 25, 2010, 08:36 PM EDT

Great News....Now the next challenge is to get people into them

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