The sacred Irish tradition of trying to find a way to have a drink on Good Friday will take on an added urgency this year thanks to the FAI's mischevious decision to schedule a pre-European Championship friendly with Switzerland for that date.
The vintners association issued their annual call for the ban on selling alcohol on Good Friday to be lifted. Won't someone think of the tourists wandering around a deserted Temple Bar looking for this much-vaunted craic.
Every Good Friday, we have tens of thousands of tourists wandering around Dublin asking why we can't go into the pub for a drink.
Now we are going to have up to 50,000 soccer fans facing the same problem. Not to mention the tens of thousands.
If those tourists are well-advised, they might grab some tickets for Ireland's friendly with the Swiss. The Aviva Stadium will function as an alcohol-soaked oasis in a desert of (alleged) sobriety and temperance.
It was confirmed today that the Aviva bars are open for business and will open at 5.30 on the night.
