[blentrop]

I would love to see something like this happening in Ireland. Closing times are so early that always causes caos at closing times. Sometimes you have the feeling to rush to get drunk before the night is over specially if you have gone out drinking to late, and don't get me started on the queues on trying to get a taxi ride back home, most of the time waiting on the rain. The government don't seem to understand that longer opening times would be much better for the economy but to ease some of this underline issues with noise, fights,...

Few years back they even brought a new law to close off licenses to serve alcohol by 10pm

[Sfi81]

In most places, restrictions on bars and nightclubs are a moral/religious issues driven by the elected representatives (and hence the electing public's) perception of what is "right". Therefore logical arguments don't really work until majority of the populace is doesn't hold as strong emotional points of view. Amsterdam has of course for long been down that road and so these things are easier there.