The country is split over the ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday, as half of consumers believe the law should remain in place.
Around 36pc of shoppers have said they think the Good Friday ban should be lifted entirely, while 14pc believe it should be relaxed for special events only.
However, half of the 1,000 adults surveyed by Ignite Research maintain that the sale of alcohol on the holy day should continue to be prohibited.
One-quarter of consumers surveyed said they believe the ban lets tourists visiting the country for the Easter holiday down, and more than half agreed that the Church should no longer have this kind of influence. The research also found that 25pc fear the ban, which will be in place tomorrow, will encourage "binge drinking at house parties" and almost 50pc said it will not affect them in any way as they plan to purchase their drinks in advance.
Centenary
Around 49pc of adults believe that the restriction should be lifted ahead of the 1916 Easter Rising centenary commemorations next year, as it would be a "good opportunity to lift the ban for good" while many believe that it may also lead to an "unnecessary loss of revenue from tourists visiting to mark the occasion".
The study also took into account our relationship with alcohol, and just 3pc declared themselves to be heavy drinkers while 61pc claimed they were light drinkers. Earlier this year, there were calls made to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to relax the law, as thousands of tourists are expected to descend upon the capital for the weekend ahead of the European Rugby Champions Cup quarter-final in the Aviva Stadium, which will see Leinster take on Bath on Saturday. More than half of consumers surveyed said it would be "silly not to lift the ban given the economic benefit of selling alcohol" the day before the match, when the majority of the English rugby fans are expected to begin arriving in Dublin.
Source: Emma Jane Hade, Irish Independent, 02/04/15
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