It may be that your local pub is offering takeaway pints, but if you've wondered whether it was legal or not (or even cared), fret not.
It's been reported by the Irish Times that the vagueness of liquor laws in Ireland are such that it's perfectly legal for pubs to offer a takeaway service to thirsty customers. According to the report, this legal advice is being distributed to every Garda station across the island.
Previously, there had been some consternation from local publicans and customers about the situation, but the law simply states that once the drink is paid for on a licensed premises and is consumed more than 100 metres from any pub and not in a public place, it's all legal.
This, in effect, classes pubs as "essential services" which means they can deliver to customers in the same way that restaurants, pharmacies, hardware shops and grocers can. As well as this, it is also deemed legal for people to collect their drink from the pub and return to their home, with the emphasis being that the drink is not consumed in a public place or within 100 metres of the pub itself.
Long story short, pubs can deliver and you can pick up a pint at your local, but you must drink it at home. It's that simple.
