Good Friday is about to get better for publicans in the Republic of Ireland. Why? Because they can finally toast the Easter holiday with a pint.

For almost a century, selling alcohol had been banned on Good Friday - a legacy of Ireland's Christian traditions.

But in January 2018 the Irish parliament passed new legislation which means this year will be different.

So what's the story for 2018? And who stands to gain from the change?

What's different this year?

Pubs in the Republic will welcome Easter revellers from 10:30 until closing time at 00:30.

Off-licences may see some changes too, with fewer booze-desiring customers stocking up a day in advance.

Good Friday is traditionally a popular time for house parties in the Republic, as friends and loved ones gather at home instead of the local boozer. But with the pub doors suddenly open, some may decide they'd rather skip the washing-up.

It's good news for tourists seeking a tipple too. On Good Fridays past, hapless foreigners unaware of the drinks ban could be found wandering the streets of Dublin in a futile search for a pint. The most dedicated were even spotted boarding trains or ferries to exploit an infamous loophole - the on-board bar.

Why did the law change?

Easter is a busy tourist period, and the extra day's trade is set to boost the Irish economy.

According to publicans' group the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) - whose interest is clear - it could generate as much as 40m euros (£35m; $49m) in sales - plus 7m for the exchequer through VAT and excise duty.

"The Good Friday ban is from a different era," the group's chief executive, Padraig Cribben, said. "Like all other businesses who were never subject to a ban, publicans now have a choice to open."

...but is everyone toasting the change?

The Roman Catholic Church held considerable influence in the Republic historically, and some would still prefer an alcohol-free Friday on religious grounds.

Back in January, critics said the altered legislation also undermined the government's goal of reducing the harm caused by alcohol.

Independent TD (Irish member of parliament) Maureen O'Sullivan spoke frankly, asking: "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?"

"I actually think we could do with a few Good Fridays throughout the year," she added.

Perhaps mindful that not everyone approves of them opening, some hostelries have decided to give their Good Friday takings to charity.

And in rural Newmarket, a little town in Cork, the six local publicans put their heads together - and agreed to keep their doors bolted.

John Scanlon of Scanlon's Bar explained: "We have only two days off each year, Christmas Day and Good Friday, and we want to hold on to that. It is a day publicans want to spend with their families."

What about north of the border?

In Northern Ireland pubs can open on Good Friday but may only serve alcohol between 17:00 and 23:00.

The hospitality sector has called for the North to have the same options as the Republic.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, believes serving restrictions will cost the North's pubs and restaurants £20m in trade over the Easter weekend.

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If you cannot see the calculator, click here.</s>Good Friday is about to get better for publicans in the Republic of Ireland. Why? Because they can finally toast the holiday with a pint.

For almost a century, selling alcohol had been banned on Easter Friday - a legacy of Ireland's Christian traditions.

But in January 2018 the Irish parliament passed new legislation which means this year will be different.

So what's the story for 2018? And who stands to gain from the change?

Pubs in the Republic will welcome Easter revellers from 10:30 until closing time at 00:30.

Off-licences may see some changes too, with fewer booze-desiring customers stocking up a day in advance.

Good Friday is traditionally a popular time for house parties in the Republic, as friends and loved ones gather at home instead of the local boozer. But with the pub doors suddenly open, some may decide they'd rather skip the washing-up.

It's good news for tourists seeking a tipple too. On Good Fridays past, hapless foreigners unaware of the drinks ban could be found wandering the streets of Dublin in a futile search for a pint. The most dedicated were even spotted boarding trains or ferries to exploit an infamous loophole - the on-board bar.

Why did the law change?

Easter is a busy tourist period, and the extra day's trade is set to boost the Irish economy.

According to publicans' group the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) - whose interest is clear - it could generate as much as 40m euros (£35m; $49m) in sales - plus 7m for the exchequer through VAT and excise duty.

"The Good Friday ban is from a different era," the group's chief executive, Padraig Cribben, said. "Like all other businesses who were never subject to a ban, publicans now have a choice to open."

...but is everyone toasting the change?

The Roman Catholic Church held considerable influence in the Republic historically, and some would still prefer an alcohol-free Friday on religious grounds.

Back in January, critics said the altered legislation also undermined the government's goal of reducing the harm caused by alcohol.

Independent TD (Irish member of parliament) Maureen O'Sullivan spoke frankly, asking: "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?"

"I actually think we could do with a few Good Fridays throughout the year," she added.

Perhaps mindful that not everyone approves of them opening, some hostelries have decided to give their Good Friday takings to charity.

And in rural Newmarket, a little town in Cork, the six local publicans put their heads together - and agreed to keep their doors bolted.

John Scanlon of Scanlon's Bar explained: "We have only two days off each year, Christmas Day and Good Friday, and we want to hold on to that. It is a day publicans want to spend with their families."

What about north of the border?

In Northern Ireland pubs can open on Good Friday but may only serve alcohol between 17:00 and 23:00.

The hospitality sector has called for the North to have the same options as the Republic.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, believes serving restrictions will cost the North's pubs and restaurants £20m in trade over the Easter weekend.

How does your drinking measure up to the average in countries around the world? Find out below if you are similar to a boozy Belarusian or a teetotal Kuwaiti.

If you cannot see the calculator, click here.</s>DUBLIN >> Guinness is flowing in Irish pubs on a Good Friday for the first time in 90 years.

DUBLIN >> Guinness is flowing in Irish pubs on a Good Friday for the first time in 90 years.

Lines of people were reported as pubs opened at 7 a.m. to serve alcohol, thanks to legislation that overturned the 1927 ban on pubs opening on Good Friday in time for thirsty locals and tourists.

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland welcomed the change, saying it would add $49 million in sales. Chief executive Padraig Cribben said “the Good Friday ban is from a different era and is rightfully consigned to history.”

Cribben said the change meant pub owners now had a choice whether to open, “like all other businesses who were never subject to a ban.”

The closing requirement had often surprised tourists arriving in Ireland for the long Easter weekend.

The Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1927 prohibited the sale of alcohol on Christmas Day, Good Friday and St. Patrick’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day ban was lifted in 1962.

There had been some previous exceptions to the Good Friday ban. Alcohol could be served to hotel residents; those travelling by air, rail or sea; or people attending a theater show or a sporting event.

Good Friday is when Christians remember Jesus’ death on the cross.</s>iStock/Thinkstock(DUBLIN) — “Publicans” are the people who own and manage pubs in Ireland, and for the last 90 years, it has been illegal for them to sell alcohol on Good Friday.

Publicans have estimated that they lose tens of millions of euros by closing on Good Friday, according to the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI).

Earlier this year, the Irish parliament voted in favor of new legislation that would put an end to alcohol prohibition on the Easter holiday.

Parliament members in favor of the bill hope that it would boost Irish tourism over Easter, while critics argued that a 24-hour ban on drinking in pubs was good for public health.

Prohibition has usually meant that house parties have become something of an Irish Easter tradition to get around the ban.

However, this won’t be the first Good Friday where pubs have been open to the public.

In 2010, publicans in Limerick were granted exemption to open for business on Good Friday due to a rugby match at Thomond Park between Munster and Leinster — Ireland’s biggest rugby rivals from Limerick and Dublin, respectively.

The stadium was granted a special license allowing the 26,000 spectators to buy drinks during the match, while nearby pubs were allowed last-minute to open for business.

“It is somewhat absurd that pubs in the locality should be closed when there will be available to 26,000 people the possibility to buy alcohol, if they so wish, in Thomond Park,” the judge who ruled in favor of the exemption said at the time.</s>Queues formed outside pubs in Ireland as a 90-year ban on serving alcohol on Good Friday was lifted.

Some punters eager to experience the novelty of ordering a pint on the holy day were lined up outside early opening bars from 7am.

In what was set to be a long and productive day for hostelry owners, many pubs were buzzing throughout Friday morning as revellers reaped the benefits of the law change.

Publican Brian Conlon, of Slattery's Bar on Capel Street in Dublin city centre, was one of the first to pull a legal Good Friday pint at 7am on Friday morning.

"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 from places such as England, Spain and Germany who arrived in Dublin and needed to wait until lunch 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.

"Some bars I've heard don't want to open, but it's a choice - you don't have to go drink on Good Friday, but if you want to go drink we are open, we are serving drink and we'll be here all day."

Mr Conlon said his staff were happy to work on what previously had been a day off.

"They are all excited to come in and work, they want to be part of history because of us being the first bar to actually serve drink at 7am," he said.

"They all wanted to get their picture in the paper."

Slattery's regular Jim Croke welcomed the lifting of the ban.

"It's very good, it's great for tourism and it's good for the country," he said.

Mr Croke said he would have been in Dublin's Connolly train station - one of the few places exempt from the prohibition - if the pubs had still been closed on Good Friday.

He said he was delighted to be enjoying a pint in his local instead.

"And I'll have another few before the day's in," he added.

The Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2017, which was voted through the Dail parliament in January, overturned a ban on Good Friday drinking that had existed since 1927.

The move came after years of campaigning from a hospitality industry infuriated at the annual lost revenue opportunity at the start of the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Some Christian campaigners remain opposed to legislation that won the support of all parties in the Dail.

The Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1927 also banned drinking on St Patrick's Day in Ireland - March 17. But that ban was lifted at the outset of the 1960s.

There were some exceptions to the 90-year Good Friday ban - alcohol could be served to hotel residents; those travelling by air, rail or sea; or people attending a theatre show or a sporting event such as greyhound racing.

In 2010 pub owners in Limerick were granted special dispensation to open when the city hosted a high-profile rugby match between Munster and Leinster.

Donall O'Keeffe, chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), said the decision to allow pubs to open on Good Friday was long overdue.

"The removal of this the ban puts Ireland on par with the rest of our European neighbours," said Mr O'Keeffe.

"This change is good news, not only for Dublin pubs but also for our wider hospitality and tourism sectors, as people flock to the capital over the Easter weekend expecting the best of Irish hospitality."</s>DUBLIN — Guinness is flowing in Irish pubs on a Good Friday for the first time in 90 years.

Lines of people were reported as pubs opened at 7 a.m. to serve alcohol, thanks to legislation that overturned the 1927 ban on pubs opening on Good Friday in time for thirsty locals and tourists.

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland welcomed the change, saying it would add 40 million euros ($49 million) in sales. Chief executive Padraig Cribben said “the Good Friday ban is from a different era and is rightfully consigned to history.”

The Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1927 prohibited the sale of alcohol on Christmas Day, Good Friday and St. Patrick’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day ban was lifted in 1962.

Good Friday is when Christians remember Jesus’ death on the cross.</s>(Brian Lawless/PA via AP). Jim Croke, in Slattery's Bar on Capel Street in Dublin, drinks a pint on Good Friday, Friday March 30, 2018. Drinking establishments are open and serving alcohol _ thanks to recently legislation that overturned a ban in place...

(Brian Lawless/PA via AP). Brian Conlon, publican of Slattery's Bar on Capel Street in Dublin, pulls a pint on Good Friday, Friday March 30, 2018. Drinking establishments are open and serving alcohol _ thanks to recently legislation that overturned a b...

DUBLIN (AP) - Guinness is flowing in Irish pubs on a Good Friday for the first time in 90 years.

Lines of people were reported as pubs opened at 7 a.m. to serve alcohol, thanks to legislation that overturned the 1927 ban on pubs opening on Good Friday in time for thirsty locals and tourists.

The Vintners' Federation of Ireland welcomed the change, saying it would add 40 million euros ($49 million) in sales. Chief executive Padraig Cribben said "the Good Friday ban is from a different era and is rightfully consigned to history."

Cribben said the change meant pub owners now had a choice whether to open, "like all other businesses who were never subject to a ban."

The closing requirement had often surprised tourists arriving in Ireland for the long Easter weekend.

The Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1927 prohibited the sale of alcohol on Christmas Day, Good Friday and St. Patrick's Day. The St. Patrick's Day ban was lifted in 1962.

There had been some previous exceptions to the Good Friday ban. Alcohol could be served to hotel residents; those travelling by air, rail or sea; or people attending a theater show or a sporting event.

Good Friday is when Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Ireland’s parliament voted in favour of amending the Intoxicating Liquor Act in January, lifting a decades-old alcohol prohibition over the Easter holiday.

The law, passed in 1924, made it illegal to "sell or expose for sale any intoxicating liquor" on Good Friday, St. Patrick's Day, or Christmas Day.

The ban on St. Patrick’s Day was abolished in 1960, while the Christmas Day prohibition remains in place.

Politicians and trade groups supporting the change for Good Friday have said it will be a boost for Irish tourism over the holiday weekend.

"Tourism makes a much greater contribution to our economy and this is particularly true during holidays, such as the busy Easter period," said David Stanton, minister of state for equality, immigration and integration, in parliament at the time.

Shops were expected to see fewer customers stocking up on booze ahead of the Easter weekend, while a decline in traditional Easter Friday house parties was also predicted.

Publicans' group the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) has estimated that the change in legislation could generate more than €40 million in sales, and millions more in VAT and excise duty.

Pub owners across the Republic celebrated the historic day, sharing details of their Good Friday opening hours and deals under the hashtag #OpenGoodFriday.

But not everyone is happy with the change, which critics say marks a move away from the country’s Catholic traditions and undermines government efforts to reduce harm caused by alcohol.</s>Share this article with Google Plus

Drinkers in Ireland are being served alcohol in pubs for the first time on a Good Friday since 1927

Queues formed outside pubs, some of which opened at 7am, to mark the lifting of the Good Friday drinking ban.

Publican Brian Conlon, of Slattery’s Bar in Dublin, was delighted to pull his first legal Good Friday pint at 7am on Friday morning.

He said: ‘It was busier than usual this morning, when I opened up at 7am there were queues at the front door.

‘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.’

A lot of the punters were tourists from England, Spain and Germany who had time to kill before being allowed to check in to their hotels at lunchtime.

He added: ‘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.

‘Some bars I’ve heard don’t want to open, but it’s a choice – you don’t have to go drink on Good Friday, but if you want to go drink we are open, we are serving drink and we’ll be here all day.’

There had been a few exceptions where alcohol could be served on Good Friday including train stations, airports and sporting events.

Slattery’s regular Jim Croke welcomed the lifting of the ban.

‘It’s great for tourism and it’s good for the country,’ he said.

The Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2017, which was voted through the Dail parliament in January, overturned a ban on Good Friday drinking that had existed since 1927.

The hospitality industry had campaigned for decades for the ban to be overturned due to lost revenue but Christian campaigners remain opposed to legislation.

MORE: Biblical scenes on Easter Bank Holiday weekend as Brummies brave the chill on night out

MORE: ‘Monster’ pedophile made girl, 10, wear dog collar and pacifier to abuse her</s>(Brian Lawless/PA via AP). Jim Croke, in Slattery's Bar on Capel Street in Dublin, drinks a pint on Good Friday, Friday March 30, 2018. Drinking establishments are open and serving alcohol _ thanks to recently legislation that overturned a ban in place...

(Brian Lawless/PA via AP). Brian Conlon, publican of Slattery's Bar on Capel Street in Dublin, pulls a pint on Good Friday, Friday March 30, 2018. Drinking establishments are open and serving alcohol _ thanks to recently legislation that overturned a b...

DUBLIN (AP) - Guinness is flowing in Irish pubs on a Good Friday for the first time in 90 years.

Lines of people were reported as pubs opened at 7 a.m. to serve alcohol, thanks to legislation that overturned the 1927 ban on pubs opening on Good Friday in time for thirsty locals and tourists.

The Vintners' Federation of Ireland welcomed the change, saying it would add 40 million euros ($49 million) in sales. Chief executive Padraig Cribben said "the Good Friday ban is from a different era and is rightfully consigned to history."

The Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1927 prohibited the sale of alcohol on Christmas Day, Good Friday and St. Patrick's Day. The St. Patrick's Day ban was lifted in 1962.

Good Friday is when Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The government of Ireland lifts a 90-year ban on the sale of alcohol on the religious holiday of Good Friday.