A chara, – Do the people of Ireland get any say on a date for our new public holiday from 2023 onwards? Winter weather public holidays are all the rage in Ireland.
We have seven between the end of October and the first weekend in May and only two during the good weather and tourist season of May to September.
It appears we’re being forced into another winter-style holiday on the first of February, bringing with it short days and a strong possibility of typically cold and wet Irish weather. Great if you are into spending the day in the pub!
The rich can use the holiday to avail of a short break to sunnier locations, leaving the poor behind with some screaming kids and soggy sandwiches and fighting fading light on the beaches of Tramore, Bundoran or Bray.
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The Monday of the mid-summer weekend should be high on everybody’s list, particularly mental health advocates and Celtic revivalists.
It was, after all, Ireland’s premier festival in Celtic times.
Consideration could also then be given to moving back the current June public holiday to align with the Northern Ireland and British public holiday at the end of May to the great benefit of the Irish at home and abroad.
And as we are two or three public holidays behind our European neighbours, would Ireland be brave enough to lead the way and include a second holiday on the Friday for a super mid-summer public holiday weekend? – Yours, etc,
M RYAN,
Dublin 22.