As Easter approaches, hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland prepare for another holiday season under the updated licensing laws introduced by the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021. These reforms have allowed licensed premises to operate under normal trading hours during the Easter period, ending decades of restrictive alcohol sale regulations.
Before the 2021 Act came into effect, the hospitality sector faced considerable limitations during Easter. Under the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, licensed premises were only allowed to trade between the hours of 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Good Friday, while Easter Sunday sales could not begin until 12:30 pm and had to stop by 10:00 pm. This contrasted with the standard hours of 11:30 am to 11:00 pm in place for other days of the week. Off-licences were also impacted, unable to commence trading until 10:10 am on Sundays, compared to 8:00 am on other days.
These restrictions not only caused confusion for tourists and visitors unfamiliar with the religious origins of the rules, but they also limited trading potential for hospitality venues during a time when demand is typically high. Businesses regularly lost out on vital revenue, unable to make the most of the Easter weekend due to outdated regulations.
The 2021 reforms changed all that. With the new legislation in place, licensed premises can now trade as they do throughout the rest of the year, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
As such the licensing hours for the Easter Holidays are:
Holy Thursday (28th March 2024)
11:30 am – 11:00 pm (or 1:00 am with additional hours order or 2:00 am with a further additional hours order)
Good Friday (29th March 2024)
11:30 am – 11:00 pm (or 1:00 am with additional hours order or 2:00 am with a further additional hours order)
Easter Saturday
11:30 am – 11:00 pm (or 1:00 am with additional hours order or 2:00 am with a further additional hours order)
Easter Sunday
11:30 am – 11:00 pm (or 1:00 am with additional hours order or 2:00 am with a further additional hours order)
These hours are subject to an additional one hour of drinking up time, meaning some licensed premises may remain open until 3:00 am.
The Licensing Team at O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors can provide expert advice to businesses looking to expand their licensing trade and make the most of the opportunities created by the new legislation.