We will be ending our trip on Holy Saturday & flying out. I'm worried everything will be closed on Good Friday and Holy Saturday morning. Can anyone shed some light on this? Is anything open in Dublin? Our plan was to explore Dublin Th/Fri/Sat but now I'm wondering if maybe that's when we could do Northern Ireland (Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Belfast). Or are we going to be in a pickle no matter where we are? Any tips on the best place for tourists to be around those day would be so appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by
Seattle, Washington
124 posts
The big thing that happens on Good Friday is that most the pubs are closed. They can't sell any form of alcohol. It's the strangest thing, I remember having to wait in line at the shop on Thursday night (I was just buying my dinner) and the amount of charts filled with drink was unreal, you would of thought the end of the world was happening. Templebar was like a ghost town that Friday night and then back to normal on Saturday. That's really the only thing I noticed being different about the weekend. Oh and few restaurants closed for the whole weekend. But it's going to be like this all across Ireland.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5455 posts
Used to be no alcohol sold in the Republic of Ireland on St Patrick's Day too.
In Northern Ireland alcohol can only be served in a pub or restaurant between 17:00 and 23:00 on Good Friday and not after 22:00 on Easter Sunday.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you so much for the responses. Seems like we will make due wherever we are. Just good to know that we can't plan on a raucous Friday evening in Temple Bar. Perhaps we'll do Dublin before we circle Ireland and end in Northern Ireland. Either way, I'm very much looking forward to this trip. Sláinte!