I'm just back from a week in Vilnius where the pubs and clubs stay open until 6. There was no trouble on the streets, no gangs of people around, and because nobody is rushing their drink, people weren't all that drunk either.
Having lived in Germany, America and Australia I can really see the case for late hours. It would be mahem here for 6 months or so as people went mad with the idea that everything is open late. Then it would settle into a far better situation than we have now.
When late hours first came in I used to be out in Tullamore until 3.30am. It was the Gardai who put an end to this, telling clubs they would object to their licenses unless they closed at 2. I would say the job of the Gardai would be much easier and safer if we enjoyed standard European laws on opening hours.
We have always been a very conservative country however, and this is unlikely to change.