20 Apr 2009
A Girl's right to Booze
I met up with a good friend of mine for
food after a recent Pink concert. After a while, we decided we'd go for a pint
and having chosen the Dragon as a suitable venue, we made our way to George's
street. We could not hide our dismay when at the hour of 12.30 at night on a
Sunday we found the establishment shut. We resolved to head on to the Front
Lounge only to find it similarly desolate. We took heart that if we skipped
over the river to Panti she would be more than willing to quench our thirst.
It was when we found that Panti too was
getting her beauty sleep after a long weekend that I got a little pissed off.
Had homosexuality been re-criminalised overnight unbeknownst to us I mused.
There were a (admittedly limited) number of regular watering holes open in the
Temple Bar area at the time so my concern was not completely unfounded.
But it was not the humble homo that was on
the wrong side of the law on the evening in question. It was the responsible
Irish citizen in general. The pubs that where open at the time where closing.
The Irish licensing laws in general are a hap hazard collection of poorly
thought out knee jerk reactions to middle class hysteria at the alcohol
problems of a minority of people. Few people, but for a few vested interests
benefit from these measures and those that suffer are the innocent bystanders
in search of a friendly pint.
The land that gave the world Guinness
thinks it can magic away the social ills of alcohol by; reducing licensing
laws, restricting off-licensing hours and taxing the stuff into oblivion.. oh
and by maintaining the compulsory nod to the Catholic Church by being even
stricter on a Sunday and upholding the archaic dry Good Friday rule. Secular
society my rosary beeds!
The country needs a mature reflection on
all its societal problems not just alcohol. The answer, as with so many other
problems, lies with education both parental and by the state.
As we began the walk home, we began
contemplating a prospective trip to Belfast. Perhaps the north would be happy
to take our pink pounds. Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right!