ireland dying pub culture

i_love_toast · 29-05-2008 12:35am #1

just thinking today what ever happened to irelands pub culture?the old days when is was a tradition across the country to meet at your local for pints on the weekend.when pubs were packed and you'd have to stand and the craic was mighty!!These days you walk into a pub and its empty except for the odd middle aged couple and a few aul fellas at the bar.Ireland used to been known for its craic in the pub.i know everyone will say"the smoking ban"but i think the governemt are the one killing it.its a dying culture thats soon to be extinct with the cost of drink and everything else going up.do you not think the governemt are trying to kill all the fun some of the times?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 29-05-2008 12:38am

yeah, i miss irelands old drug culture but thankfully we have a new and growing drug culture that's taking over. it's cheaper, you don't have to worry about al the cool kids do it.

Fanny Cradock · 29-05-2008 12:42am

I blame the foreigners.

Maybe you are living somewhere in the arsehole of Ireland, but it's generally packed at the weekend around the centre of Dublin.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 29-05-2008 12:46am

Good riddance to it. Poeple might actaully have to think for a change!!

I'm not against drinking, but pub "culture" (or rather the complete lack of everything esle culture) is conformist, boring and he one thing standing between us and becoming a half-decent modern European capital.

Dr. Baltar · 29-05-2008 12:51am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Good riddance to it. Poeple might actaully have to think for a change!!

I'm not against drinking, but pub "culture" (or rather the complete lack of everything esle culture) is conformist, boring and he one thing standing between us and becoming a half-decent modern European capital.

You do realise that the pub culture has been replaced by the drink-binge culture which is a thousand times worse?

Rb · 29-05-2008 1:09am

You can buy 6 cans for €10 or so in the supermarket, whilst the pubs are trying to get €6 out of you for a pint.
If anyone is to blame, it's the publicans themselves. Greedy shower of bastards as far as I'm concerned.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 29-05-2008 1:10am

you're just not the same since you changed your nick.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 29-05-2008 1:12am

Sir Baralot wrote: »

You do realise that the pub culture has been replaced by the drink-binge culture which is a thousand times worse?

The drink-binge culture is pretty much the same thing, nowadays. Not entirely what the OP is getting it, I appreciate, but if people had access to (and were willing to bloody TRY) a different outlet than alcohol, you never know: we might actually become a PROPER city of culture.

i_love_toast · 29-05-2008 1:16am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Good riddance to it. Poeple might actaully have to think for a change!!

I'm not against drinking, but pub "culture" (or rather the complete lack of everything esle culture) is conformist, boring and he one thing standing between us and becoming a half-decent modern European capital.

thats what i mean!!were turning into every other european city having the odd glass oa bear here and there and terrified having to spend a night in a pub socializing.i know everyone will say publicans..and the 6 cans of bavaria for 7euro but the governemt are even trying to put the price of them up to every other expensive beer so for example students are gonna suffer.i know the main pubs in dublin are always busy on the weekend but a lot of the other ones are closing down for good and a loss of a lot of historic ones too!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 29-05-2008 1:20am

i_love_toast wrote: »

thats what i mean!!were turning into every other european city having the odd glass oa bear here and there and terrified having to spend a night in a pub socializing.i know everyone will say publicans..and the 6 cans of bavaria for 7euro but the governemt are even trying to put the price of them up to every other expensive beer so for example students are gonna suffer.i know the main pubs in dublin are always busy on the weekend but a lot of the other ones are closing down for good and a loss of a lot of historic ones too!

Hey - the Europeans spend a night in a pub quiet frequently: most of the morning too, as they can be trusted not to start brawls and pukefests at 2.01 am. But they don't LIVE for it. WE do. And it's so limiting.

If the historic ones are closeing down while other ones are full, then that's just the way of the land: people, at the end of the day, choose where to drink and where not to drink.

dsmythy · 29-05-2008 1:28am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Good riddance to it. Poeple might actaully have to think for a change!!

I'm not against drinking, but pub "culture" (or rather the complete lack of everything esle culture) is conformist, boring and he one thing standing between us and becoming a half-decent modern European capital.

So you want us to conform to the continentals instead?

lost marbles · 29-05-2008 1:40am

our biggest export "the irish pub" go to any city in the world and theres one .but we,re not irish anymore we,re europeans or so the government want us to be .so from now on wether home or away when you arrive in that holiday resort dont go looking for the irish pub ,look for the "nice ill have two glasses of wine and a coffee irish cafe bar "but dont forget to drink the bottle of vodka before you go because the irish cafe bar/pub will charge you an arm and a leg to for a drink .oh and btw dont even think about having the "craic".the government [nanny state ]frowns upon that kinda messing ,you might fall and end up having to use a hospital .its your fault that they are not able to cope

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 29-05-2008 1:43am

i thought computer software was our biggest export

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 29-05-2008 1:53am

lost marbles wrote: »

our biggest export "the irish pub" go to any city in the world and theres one .but we,re not irish anymore we,re europeans or so the government want us to be .so from now on wether home or away when you arrive in that holiday resort dont go looking for the irish pub ,look for the "nice ill have two glasses of wine and a coffee irish cafe bar "but dont forget to drink the bottle of vodka before you go because the irish cafe bar/pub will charge you an arm and a leg to for a drink .oh and btw dont even think about having the "craic".the government [nanny state ]frowns upon that kinda messing ,you might fall and end up having to use a hospital .its your fault that they are not able to cope

What's wrong with being both European AND Irish?

Interesting. I've just read a thread about how foreign nationals coming into out country should automatically follow our culture and contorm to our way of life, but here you're endorsing that we go abroad and do exactly the opposite...

Come to think of it, what's the point in going aborad in the first place?

Also, what's the point in complaining about a nanny state and then doing what everyone else tells you to do anyway?

Grampa: "We're free! We can go wherever we want!"
[Pause]
Grampa: "I'm cold. Let's go inside."

dsmythy wrote: »

So you want us to conform to the continentals instead?

I don't follow: giving people a bit more choice is "conforming to the continentals"?

lost marbles · 29-05-2008 1:54am

Mordances with the proletariat wrote: »

i thought computer software was our biggest export

ok i forgot this was ahs ONE OF OUR BIGGEST EXPORTS. HAPPY NOW:D

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 29-05-2008 1:58am

actually, yes.

Cianos · 29-05-2008 2:02am

I know this may be hard to understand, but there are other ways to socialise other than around a table full of pints. Maybe if we engaged in more non-drug influenced socialising we'd be the better for it.

lost marbles · 29-05-2008 2:33am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

What's wrong with being both European AND Irish?

Interesting. I've just read a thread about how foreign nationals coming into out country should automatically follow our culture and contorm to our way of life, but here you're endorsing that we go abroad and do exactly the opposite...

Come to think of it, what's the point in going aborad in the first place?

Also, what's the point in complaining about a nanny state and then doing what everyone else tells you to do anyway?

Grampa: "We're free! We can go wherever we want!"
[Pause]
Grampa: "I'm cold. Let's go inside."

I don't follow: giving people a bit more choice is "conforming to the continentals"?[/quote
see you have taken on the change by grasping the whole lets change from being irish [i take it you are ] the pub culture is or was part of the irish way of life .thats the point im making and yes irish people when they do travel away do end up in the irish pub .it has and always been like that .the point im making is that the decline of the irish pub here is just one part of what i see as an erosion of our culture .who do we point the finger at on this one ?
the government ? well they wanted a better view of the "hard drinking" irish when we were top of the european tree and blamed the binge drinking on the pubs [which was,nt the case because its done in homes now]
the publicans ? they priced themsleves out of the market in the good times and are now suffering for being greedy
the whole thing of lets change the irish mindset on drinking imo has been forced on us [and btw im not a big drinker either maybe three times a year ill have a drink ]

BraziliaNZ · 29-05-2008 2:46am

why do people think irish are the only ones for whom socialising revolves around drinking? It's the same in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and USA from my experiences. Irish/British people and their descendants in the new world socialise in bars and pubs. Who cares? It's great fun. If the customer levels are dwindling in Ireland, it's down to the extortionate prices being charged. Nothing makes me angrier than seeing a publican on TV moaning about not getting customers, when he's charging 5 euro a pint ffs.

dsmythy · 29-05-2008 2:51am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I don't follow: giving people a bit more choice is "conforming to the continentals"?

People have that choice already. They choose not to take it. We live for the pub unlike other countries. You want us to be more like continental Europeans and not live for the pub. Sounds like you want us to conform to them. Obviously that's conforming on a larger European scale rather than changing one countries habits. Still the same premise to me.

Holsten · 29-05-2008 2:51am

I still go to the pub the odd time.

I'd MUCH rather just head to a house and a few cans though.

i_love_toast · 29-05-2008 2:58am

thats exactly what im saying.the governemt tried to put big tax on drink to stop people going to pubs but the problem still exists but just at home instead at in the mean time a whole culture of harmless fun is being dwindled away.and you dont have to drink to get the craic in a pub it was the atmosphere that made it special and what atmosphere do you get from going into an empty pub....none!and i think its leading to people becoming more unsocial in a sense that people do say.."god people just arnt as friendly as they used to be"...but i think this is true because people are more career focused ect...where not as easy going as we used to be..because were told if u go into a pub and have a good time your a binge drinker ect

Xavi6 · 29-05-2008 3:01am

Holsten wrote: »

I still go to the pub the odd time.

I'd MUCH rather just head to a house and a few cans though.

+1 to that. Not only do you save a fortune but you're guaranteed a chair, you can play some playstation, whip out the guitar for a sing song or just have a good old fashioned conversation without some silly slapper mouthing off at the table next to you.

Unless I get a nice quiet corner in the boozer I've no interest in going.

BraziliaNZ · 29-05-2008 5:47am

well as a single person it's also the only chance I get to meet chicks, you'll find people in relationships or whatever it's called don't go out as much

jprender · 29-05-2008 6:45am

Cianos wrote: »

I know this may be hard to understand, but there are other ways to socialise other than around a table full of pints. Maybe if we engaged in more non-drug influenced socialising we'd be the better for it.

That's spot on.

Xavi6 · 29-05-2008 7:03am

Cianos wrote: »

I know this may be hard to understand, but there are other ways to socialise other than around a table full of pints. Maybe if we engaged in more non-drug influenced socialising we'd be the better for it.

jprender wrote: »

That's spot on.

Suggest some then. These kind of statements are pointless without examples.

Now remember, we're talking large groups of friends gathered in the one spot to socialise.

DublinWriter · 29-05-2008 7:12am

I think it was initially the smoking ban that started the current trend. Then when everyone started drinking at home, we began to realise what a rip-off pubs are.

I personally don't yearn for the days when you had to stand in a cramped pub yelling in someone's ear trying to have a conversation or having to queue up to use a filthy urinal.

Only in Ireland do we mention 'drink' and 'culture' in the same sentence.

Caoimhín · 29-05-2008 7:17am

Xavi6 wrote: »

whip out the guitar for a sing song or just have a good old fashioned conversation without some silly slapper mouthing off at the table next to you.

I really f*cking hate those c*nts who wreak a good house party by bringing out a guitar.

jprender · 29-05-2008 7:33am

Xavi6 wrote: »

Suggest some then. These kind of statements are pointless without examples.

Now remember, we're talking large groups of friends gathered in the one spot to socialise.

Any sporting event.

Xavi6 · 29-05-2008 7:40am

jprender wrote: »

Any sporting event.

Nah not havin that as a viable substitute. Firstly it's outdoors so you freeze your balls off and secondly if you try to have any sort of conversation you'll be told to shut the fuck up by Anto and Jonner behind you.

Plug · 29-05-2008 7:47am

How about forget the pub and buy Damburger(dambuster) or stieneger. Only a euro a can!

ireland dying pub culture

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