This is not a drill.

Cork pubs will be able to open their doors to the public on Good Friday for the first time in 90 years.

The Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2017 passed all stages in the Dáil with all-party support and will now be enacted in time for Good Friday 2018, which falls on March 30th.

So from now on, #GoodFriday won’t see you hanging out at the Mineral bar! (pic by Martin Parr, Glenfarne Dancehall, Leitrim, 1983) pic.twitter.com/QjzcFBqd3n

— Joe O’Shea (@josefoshea) January 25, 2018

The Vintners Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners Association, who have long described the Good Friday ban as archaic and discriminatory, have welcomed the news.

Donall O’Keeffe, Chief Executive of the LVA, said the decision to allow the sale of alcohol on Good Friday was long overdue.

“Removing the ban is simple common sense,” said Mr O’Keeffe. “The large number of tourists visiting Ireland at Easter were confused by a law that made Ireland appear out of touch with the with the rest of our European neighbours.

“The extra day’s trade at such a busy time of year will be a welcome boost. This change is a win for our customers, our tourists, our suppliers and the wider hospitality sector,” he added.

It’s the end of an era of sneaky lock-ins and stocking up on mystifyingly ginormous volumes of alcohol ‘just in case’.

Still, all is not lost…

To those who are freaking out about #GoodFriday. Relax, we still have the angelus.

— Dearbhail McDonald (@DearbhailDibs) January 25, 2018