Oases on the driest day of the year

SMALL PRINT:GOING ON A hunt for alcohol on Good Friday has become something of a tradition, more for the sport of it in the face of restrictions, rather than any actual real need for a booze-up.

But if you want to have a tipple today, where can you drink without legal repercussions?

BYOB

A bring-your-own-booze culture has seeped into several restaurants of late. For some, it’s an offering that allows customers to choose what they want to drink while cutting down the cost of their bill. For others, it’s an intermediary measure until a licence is approved.

Bon Appetit in Malahide in Dublin is advertising a “Bring Your Own” policy today, offering three courses with your own wine for €40 and eight courses for €80. No beer or spirits allowed.

TRAVEL

Ferries and airports are also exempt from the Intoxicating Liquor Act’s restrictions on Good Friday, although passengers must be travelling in order to avail of alcohol. So no, you can’t turn up at the airport and order a few pints in Arrivals.

STAY OVERNIGHT

A similar rule applies to hotels, which can serve alcohol, but only to residents, and only while accompanying a meal.

CULTURE VULTURES

Licensed theatres or cultural institutions are also exempt from the ban, although few avail of this loophole. The National Concert Hall and the Abbey Theatre both close their doors on Good Friday.

AT THE RACES

Sporting events such as greyhound racing and horseracing can circumvent the ban. In 2010, a Munster v Leinster match at Thomond Park in Limerick acted as a catalyst for what was probably the biggest debate about the effectiveness of the ban in recent years.

Two years later, it’s the same story, as the bars will also be open in the RDS this evening when Leinster face Munster in the British and Irish Cup semi-final.