Call for off licence shutdown every St Patrick's Day

Off licences around the country should shut down every year for St Patrick’s Day, it was claimed today.

The Pioneers Total Abstinence Association, which has up to 200,000 members, made the call on the eve of the national feast day.

Off licence owners have already rejected calls by Dublin Lord Mayor Cllr Michael Conaghan to keep their premises closed until 6pm on St Patrick’s Day.

But Pioneers chairman and sociologist Fr Micheal McGreil today called for a complete ban on drink sold outside of pubs on March 17.

“People drink to excess on the day of our patron saint every year and it’s an ugly spectacle for families and tourists,” he said.

“There should be tighter controls on off licences selling drink and I’d be in favour of them closing down completely for the day.

“You’ll nip the problem in the bud and cut down on outdoor drinking on street corners and parks.”

But the National Off Licence Association (Noffla) said its members shouldn’t be blamed for the behaviour of a small number of drunken louts.

“I think it’s a simplistic approach. We act in a very responsible manner in the way in the way we sell our product,” said Noffla chairman John Shiel.

“It’s unfair to blame an off licence for the behaviour of a small minority of people who engage in anti-social behaviour.

“Denying an off licence service to the public at large because of this small element is not the way to do business.”

Noffla, which represents 300 off licences around the country, said premises will be operating on Sunday hours tomorrow – opening at 12 noon instead of the normal 10.30am on weekdays.

Last week Dublin’s Lord Mayor met with off licence owners in the city to urge them to remain closed until 6pm on St Patrick’s Day to “avoid our national day descending into a drunken shambles“.