St Patrick’s Day Dublin 2023: are pubs open in Irish capital? What is ‘voluntary’ alcohol ban

A “voluntary” ban on alcohol sales will not affect pubs in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day.

Shops and off-licensense will not be selling booze until 4pm in the Irish capital on Friday (17 March). It is in a bid to curb misbehaviour during the famous St Patrick’s Day parade in the city.

The day celebrating Ireland’s patron saint is a public holiday across the country. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to watch the parade through Dublin.

St Patrick’s Day will also be celebrated around the world - London had its own parade last weekend, while Chicago has dyed the river green once again. But Ireland will be the centre of the celebrations once again in 2023.

Here is all you need to know about alcohol sales in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day:

Voluntary ban on alcohol sales in Dublin

Off-licenses and shops will not be selling alcohol for large parts of the day. A “voluntary” ban will be in place until 4pm on St Patrick’s Day.

It has been introduced to help the family-friendly parade take place without risk of bad behaviour due to alcohol. A Gardaí spokesman told the Irish Mirror: “The St Patrick’s Day Parade is a family-friendly event and the showcase event for the St Patrick’s Festival. To assist Gardaí with the policing event of this event, licence holders are requested to voluntarily refrain from selling off sales until after 4pm on 17 March”.

Will pubs and bars be open in Dublin?

If you are heading to the Irish capital for St Patrick’s Day, or if you already call the city home, you might be wondering whether you will be able to celebrate the holiday with a tipple. Fortunately the answer is yes!

Pubs and bars will be open in the capital from 12.30pm until 12.30am. The Irish Times reports Donal O’Keeffe, chief executive of the Licensed Vintners Association, which represents publicans in the capital said: “Under no circumstances will we be shut until 4pm on St Patrick’s Day. Pubs are an integral part of the festival. They come to us for drink, they come to us for food. We haven’t been asked to close.”

Did pubs used to shut on St Patrick’s Day?

Until the 1970s pubs in Ireland would close on 17 March as a mark of respect for the religious holy day. It was also thought that leaving pubs open on the public holiday would be too much temptation for people during Lent.

When is St Patrick’s Day?

The patron saint of Ireland will be celebrated on 17 March - which falls on Friday this year. It is a public holiday in Ireland with work places, offices and schools closed. St Patrick’s Day is one of 10 public holidays in Ireland in 2023.

Can you watch the parade in Dublin?

The annual St Patrick’s Day parade will be returning to the Irish capital on 17 March. Half a million spectators are expected to take to the streets of Dublin to watch the famous parade.