Richard's been tracking the debate on whether there should be a National Day of Mourning. I'm all in favor of it, so long as it doesn't mean a day off. The Pope was a massive world presence and it would not be inappropriate for the state to acknowledge his role in the lives of so many people who live here. I would hope the Taoiseach will ask employers to be flexible for the time of the Pope's actual funeral Mass on Friday. Employers should be encouraged to allow radio or t.v. coverage of the funeral.
I like Dana a lot. I think she's a very genuine person. I think, however, that she's misjudging what is likely to happen if we have a National Day of Mourning on Friday. I would imagine that for many (most?) people it will be nothing more than a day off. Extra time in the pub, perhaps. For that reason, I'm not keen on a National Day of Mourning if it would include a public holiday.
Although I can't justify it (other than as a gut reaction), I would really like the government to close all the pubs on Friday. In fact, I'd rather Dana lobbied for that rather than a day off.
