Last call on ban
MANY - NOT ALL - VINTNERS WELCOME THE LIFTING OF THE GOOD FRIDAY ALCOHOL BAN WHILE PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT COUNCILLOR GINO O’BOYLE TELLS SORCHA CROWLEY IT’S A HYPOCRITICAL MOVE
IT’S an antiquated law. If that was the case, why don’t they close every Sunday?” said local vintner member Enda Scanlon. As an active member of the hospitality industry in Sligo, Enda believes the ending of the 97 year ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday is a good thing for the county. The Minister of State for Justice David Stanton, introduced the Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill last Thursday, saying the restrictions “are no longer in tune with today’s Ireland”.
Hotels, off-licences, restaurants, registered clubs, holiday camps and other licensed premises can now legally sell alcohol on Good Friday. Hotels can sell alcohol to guests at any time on Good Friday and no longer only when it is served with a meal, which is currently the law.
Enda Scanlon pointed to the tourism draw of the West of Ireland Golf Championship held at Rosses Point Golf club every Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
“In the last five to ten years they’ve spent a lot on the course – this is a tournament that has seen the likes of Rory McElroy win. The hotels in Rosses Point fill up fast so people end up staying in town and on Good Friday they couldn’t enjoy themselves,” he said.
“It’s one of our busiest weekends of the year. After Christmas in January, February you have Operation Transformation and people don’t have money. Well from St Patrick’s Day and Easter it really kick starts the hospitality season so for us the lifting of this ban is very important, especially in places which serve food and drink,” he told The Sligo Champion.
“I can understand people saying it’s only two days of the year but it’s an antiquated law. If that’s the case, why don’t they close every Sunday?
“We’re happy with the ban lift because of our location on the Wild Atlantic Way. We certainly want to look after our customers from Dublin, Cork or Belfast – people come from all over to the West of Ireland championship.
“It’s seen as a stepping block for these young golfers to get up on the ladder. It was terrible when we had to close our doorsdoors.
Does he think any pubs will close their doors in Sligo on Good Friday out of choice?
“I don’t think so but I’m not sure. Will it suit everybody? A lot of people have made plans to go away for the bank holiday weekend already so it might suit certain pubs to close but anyone doing food will stay open.
“They might just open later, instead of at 12 they might open at 7/8pm. It’s a long weekend,” he added.
Sligo People Before Profit Councillor Gino O’Boyle does not agree.
Having worked in the bar trade for the past fifteen years, he thinks it’s a “negative and hypocritical” move by the Government last week.
He’s also critical about the Government’s claims that the Bill is aimed at tourists.
This idea he finds problematic: “The fact that we have to promote drinking to tourists to get them to come to Ireland - why is the Government doing this?”
“Why would you be highlighting drinking? It’s hypocritical when you have the stalled Public Health Alco- hol Bill (2015),” he said, referring to proposals to ban alcohol advertising in pubs or concerts, or in the presence of people.
Gino said the Government was “trying to ban it one way and promote it another.”
“We have a drinking culture, which isn’t good either. It’s my own personal opinion. I think it’s negative and hypocritical to be promoting Ireland in a negative way such as this,” he said.
When put to him that the lifting of the ban is being seen as a positive thing to help the local tourist economy Gino had this response:
“Is it a thing for them to raise their prices again? Because every time there’s something on in Sligo the prices go up, in bars, restaurants and hotels - they sky rocket,” he said.
Gino also said that Christmas Day and Good Friday were the only two days of the year where bar workers were guaranteed a day off work. He also pointed to his work as a county councillor since 2015 in which he’s seen the effects of excessive alcohol consumption at close hand.
“There’s addiction problems, that’s what I find in my work as a councillor. I’ve seen people lose their homes over it.
“I see people with alcohol addiction and it’s a terrible thing. It’s really unfortunate the Government is not addressing theses issues - they’re promoting it,” he added.
Chairman of the Sligo Vintner’s Federation Adrian Tansey of the Cross Bar in Gurteen said Gino would be “well advised to target the supermarkets rather than the publican who’s in crisis for the last number of years.”
“Gino should take a look at what’s happening in supermarkets. Alcohol is controlled in a pub environment. It’s not controlled when you have people who can buy large quantities of alcohol at very cheap prices.
“They can’t come to me and say ‘give me five bottles of vodka’. We control it. We look after our customers. If someone comes in drunk we refuse them. I don’t see the supermarkets controlling or refusing customers,” he said, naming all the main supermarkets.
From a tourist point of view, the Gurteen native welcomes the lifting of the ban, pointing out that tourists can get a drink in every other country on Good Friday but not in Ireland.
“It’s not for every publican. Some publicans will be disappointed that they’re losing their day off. We only had two days off. Now we only have the one,” he told this newspaper.
“I would be in that camp but I wouldn’t have any objection,” he added.
When asked if he will open his pub, the Cross Bar, this coming Good Friday, Adrian said he hadn’t decided yet but “more than likely” he would open.
“I would have been aware of this coming. It’s been going on for year ( the campaign to end the ban), more so in the cities than in the country areas there would have been a push for it and it’s taken up to now to go through.
“It will be welcomed by the majority of the bigger bars but the smaller ones in the country probably won’t like it,” he said.
GOOD FRIDAY KICK STARTS OUR HOSPITALITY SEASON IN SLIGO