An Irish Dilemma

"Booze-Lust" - Pope John-Paul II loved a drop of the red stuff. Never on Good Friday Though.

Much consternation has been happening in Ireland over the last few weeks. About the poor state of the economy you ask? The strikes? The cutbacks? The poor health care? Oh yes yes, all that, but something else too. Something which has caused much division amongst the people of the nation, the likes of which hasn't seen seen since the Civil War:

The Catholic Tradition Of Abstaining From Consuming Alcohol On Good Friday Vs. The Freedom To Get As Shitfaced As You Like From 'Skulling the Booze' on Any Friday Of The Year.

What makes this extra sweet is the fact that the conflict has arisen because of a game of rugby being played on the day. (Rugby, that most Protestant of games! What would the Bishop say!) This isn't just silly triviality, this actually involves Irish Law. A special legal pardon has been given to pubs in Limerick (where the game is taking place) to sell alcoholic beverages to punters tomorrow.

And they say stereotypes are dead... As for me, I'll be sniffing glue, like I do every Friday.

[Pope JPII image via]