is st patrick's day a federal holiday
St. Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland in 1903 with the passing of the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, which was introduced by Irish MP James O'Mara. In 1927, O'Mara introduced the law that banned the sale of alcohol on St. Patrick's Day to prevent drinking on a religious holiday. The law was changed in 1961 to permit legal drinking, but only at the Royal Dublin Society Dog show.