Drinking in Ireland

joePC

I fcuking hate this drink, drink, "what are you doin today" ohhhh **fcuking** DRINKING,

All plp seem to do in this country is drink is there any non-drinks on the boards, I have given up drink altogether 4 months ago, I mean whats the point, you go into town (Dublin in my case) --> Spend €150 in a good night wake up the next day with a blinding hangover and no money...........I mean there must be better things to do,

Dont get me wrong I dont mind a drink but I get the guuuu on me, you know how it is " Ahh one for the road" and all that bollox, thats why I am cold turkey and never going back,

What are plp's views on this and what is there that honestly doesn't involve drinking in this country........

Thanks joePC

bizmark

i never drank might be best if the crap was banned because of all the problems it causes

Araniell

What are plp's views on this and what is there that honestly doesn't involve drinking in this country........

That's just the problem, isn't it. What viable alternative is there? Where I live (quite a large town) There is one cinema and over 60 pubs. The cinema is an even more expensive night out than the pub (for me anyway, since I only ever have 2)
There's absolutely nothing else open after 6, so if I wanna meet up with people it's either a pub or stand on the street freezin your arse off.

That said, I know people who'd go to the pub anyway with the soul aim of getting hammered. It seems to be an attention seeking thing with alot of them.

the_syco

12 hour LAN's rule. Go in Friday 8pm, leave next day @ 8am.

Me, I go over to a mate's gaff with a few cans (under 6), and drink maybe 3 of them, while playing pool or darts. Just chillin' basiclly.

If going into town (Dublin), I try to ensure they play decent music. I'd buy about 4 pints, the 1st will last me an hour, or so, talking away to my mates, the 2nd will be the same. The 3rd will be held while taking rest's from dancing, and the 4th will be @ the end. I go out for the craic. I've given up on getting a women, so I just go to chill.

I find the best if there's a live band, cos you can watch them, instead of drinking.

I know, the 1st was the only non-drink option, but aside from going to the cinema or bowling, there's not much else you can do, beside taking up smoking

loismustdie

i go with the smokin/drugs option - may cost less and more fullfilling. if you're against that and prob are, and if you have friends who are of t same mind as you you should all just get together in each other's house, chill out listen to music watch films. swimming gym running or even walks cinema pool bowling clus and societies going out for meals. get a pet and spend time with him. computer games

Ivan

Originally posted by loismustdie
computer games

Yeah, nothing brings people together like computer games...

Xterminator

One thing i hate, is when yu go out with a few mates, and say your not drinking, they try to'force' the drink on you, as if your not enjoying yourself, if your not supping a pint!

X

nads

Get Fit
Martial Arts
Take up a Musical Instrument -->
Join a band
lots more can't think of, well not much more but nothing that's already been said

I've nothing against drink EXCEPT IT TASTES SO BAD.
"This wine isn't as easy now as the last one last week" -Translation- "This wine tastes a bit more horrible than last weeks one but i drink it anyway to be 'sophisticated'"

Oriel

joePC, if you go out and spend €150 in one night, then blame yourself, not the drink. I've never spent that in one night, and never will.

Drink is what you make of it. If you drink too much, it reflects on you, not the drink itself. I know a lot of people who enjoy alcohol respectably.

nads

Originally posted by Sinecure
Drink is what you make of it.

Did you watch Last Action Hero last night? ^^^

This guy though raises a good point, for 150 wing-wangs it'd have to be in Amsterdam for it to accomplish a good nightout

The_Goose

I gave it up for about three weeks, cause it seemed i was getting mouldy every night!! Well i was never more depressed in my life!! Just stood there all night, obviously i have a confidence problem, but there s no prob having a drink to losen up or just to relax as long as you don t go over bored! As for the friends trying to force it on ya i just told them i was on antibiotics, problem solved!!

spudulike

There is a huge sence of immagturity in Ireland relating to drink. Drink in itself is not a problem, nor should it be considered a problem. The problem is the abuse of drink. People need to be moderate with alcohol and be more mature in their approach to it.


However i think publicans have alot to answer for in regards serving people too much...

seamus

Originally posted by Manticore
I gave it up for about three weeks, cause it seemed i was getting mouldy every night!! Well i was never more depressed in my life!! Just stood there all night, obviously i have a confidence problem, but there s no prob having a drink to losen up or just to relax as long as you don t go over bored! As for the friends trying to force it on ya i just told them i was on antibiotics, problem solved!!

I have a mate who doesn't take no for an answer. Someone says they're on antibiotics, "Ah sure, you can have one." If he ever sees me drinking water in a pub (as I am wont to do to take a brief pause from drinking) he fires a string of expletives at me, usually terminated with pussy, ****, or gob****e. Then he gets punched in the stomach and shuts up.

And yes, he is an alcoholic.

Johnny Versace

Well, how much you spend depends on your situation.

A Friday or Saturday night out I'd easily spend EUR 100...

- Taxi, EUR 20
- Beer, EUR 70
- Food, 10

I agree that our nothing-to-do-but-drink culture is horrible. I try so hard to do other things, but there really isn't much else to do if you're quite sociable (like me.)

My friends who live in America chill on the beach. Here, we just have the rain...

seamus

Actually, (now that I've wandered down to get coffee and thought about it), Ireland has always had a drink problem, it's just that we can now afford it. If the drink companies can be believed (unlikely), we're drinking far less now than we used to, and there are definitely a lot more teatotallers now than there were 10 years ago.

My Dad always recounts the tale of his father. When my Grandad was 21, my Great-Grandad brought him to the pub, put a pint of Guiness and a whiskey in front of him (apparently this was the normal way to drink - pint of stout and a short), and my Great-Grandad refused. "Not me Dad, I'm a pioneer." They never spoke again

Back then, if you refused a drink from a man, you might as well have raped his wife and murdered his kids while you were on a roll.

I would certainly say we're wising up, albeit slowly. Almost everyone I know (with the exception of yer man above, and one or two others) now drinks less and or less frequently than they did 3/4 years ago (And I was underage 4 years ago :eek: )

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by seamus
teatotallers

so THAT'S how you spell it!

SheroN

Man up dawg, man up.

leeroybrown

I agree that a large percentage of Irish people (both men and women) go out and get absolutely obliterated for no good reason other than getting drunk. This applies especially to people who end up spending the end of the night knocking back after shocks or other similar drinks designed only to get you pissed.

When I go out I like to have a few (or more) pints of good quality beer and/or a few whiskeys (again avoiding cheap píss). I'm could easily spend €100+ on a night out if I wanted to but this is the kind of thing I rarely do.

Ivan

Originally posted by nads
Did you watch Last Action Hero last night? ^^^

This guy though raises a good point, for 150 wing-wangs it'd have to be in Amsterdam for it to accomplish a good nightout

I've often gone out drinking and spent IR£150 or €150.

Drinking double & triple shots of vodka, you'll easily go through that.

Nuttzz

Originally posted by Ivan
I've often gone out drinking and spent IR£150 or €150.

Drinking double & triple shots of vodka, you'll easily go through that.

triple shots????

What is the purpose of going out on for a night where you get so drunk you cant remember if you had a good time on not.

I'd spend €100 if herself didnt put her hand in her handbag (but she does!)

Senor_Fudge

lads if its the cost thing just take up smoking hash
about 100-120 an ounce ya'll get a good 120 joints off it
some tobacco and papers - sorted

its just like drink without the sick feeling or hangover
thats what i do and dont bother much with drink now maybe 1 or 2 MAX
cause then ya just get too wasted

drink has this country ruined!

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by Nuttzz
I'd spend €100 if herself didnt put her hand in her handbag (but she does!)

WOW, I love your girlfriend already!

I magically attract women who love my wallet. It's great.

koneko

Really dislike this whole drink obsession thing a lot of people have going on. All the time when I say I don't want to go to the pub I'm made feel like a leper.

I don't mind the odd bender, but I don't want to spend every night in the pub drinking my money away.

Sleepy

Recently got to know a fella I knew in college better and discovered that the guy has every cool toy going. He's always been able to afford whatever he wants to buy because he's never drank or smoked. It'd make you think twice!

Night's out in Dublin are scandalously expensive: €10 - €15 to get into a club, €5 a pint after whatever point the publican decides he wants more cash (god help you if you want a spirit and mixer) €20 for a cab ride home... Add an over-priced meal to that and you're up at the €150 mark already...

Trojan

Agreed with koneko. Admit it's ironic for someone who organises sessions quite regularly, but I'm as not mad into the drinking culture here in Dublin as much as some people are. The occasional major session is good, every 3 or 4 weeks, and I try to cut back besides that.

The problem is that it's hard not to drink when you go to the pub, due to social pressure, price and quantity of soft drinks, and the annoyance factor (if you've a couple of drinks on you then drunk people don't annoy you half as much as when you're stone cold sober).

The other problem is staying out of the pub - it's where we met up with our friends. If I want to see one of my mates every week or 2, then I guarantee it's a pub we'll meet in. Then if I want to meet another mate, or some of the boards gang, or my uncle, or whoever else, then I'm guaranteed to be in the pub 3 nights a week every week. It's hard to deal with

And then there's the rugby club, we occasionally have a beer after a match...

That's what I view as the major problem with drink in this country, or how it affects me specifically.

Al.

Nuttzz

Originally posted by Johnny Versace
WOW, I love your girlfriend already!

I magically attract women who love my wallet. It's great.

No point, ladies, in dancing around to destiny’s child’s “independent women” and then expect me to pour gargle down you throat all night

Sleepy

Originally posted by Nuttzz
No point, ladies, in dancing around to destiny’s child’s “independent women” and then expect me to pour gargle down you throat all night

You can sing that!

ferdi

Originally posted by Johnny Versace
- Taxi, EUR 20
- Beer, EUR 70
- Food, 10

eh...70 euro on beer...at lets say 5 euro a pint....thats 14 pints. maybe you can handle your drink but seriously wtf...you do this on a regular basis?....thats a problem, you are seriously damaging your health and wallet.

if i were going out i'd drink 4 cans/bottle of wine before going out and then go into the club/pub and have a max of 3 in there + a couple of Js - and this would be bad by my standards.

Sleipnir

In the words of a hero of mine

"I don't drink because I have problems or I want to escape. I just love drinking and being drunk."

SheroN

I can drink 14 pints, some people call it a problem, I call it a gift.

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by ferdi
eh...70 euro on beer...at lets say 5 euro a pint....thats 14 pints. maybe you can handle your drink but seriously wtf...you do this on a regular basis?....thats a problem, you are seriously damaging your health and wallet.

I do drink a lot, but I also end up buying some drinks for some poor friends, so I've taken this into account.

p.pete

Originally posted by SheroN
I can drink 14 pints, some people call it a problem, I call it a gift.

So can I, in fact I easily drank more then that on Sunday - I call it a curse. Appart from that, like what Trojan says - almost every social gathering / meeting up with mates / sports involves the innocent pint or two. It all adds up:(

GuanYin

Originally posted by p.pete
So can I, in fact I easily drank more then that on Sunday - I call it a curse.

Yes, but the someone has to carry you several miles to the train station
I'd classify "can drink X pints" as can drink that much and stay upright!

Originally posted by p.pete
Appart from that, like what Trojan says - almost every social gathering / meeting up with mates / sports involves the innocent pint or two. It all adds up:(

*cough* Bingo in May then eh?

Seriously, I'm not much of a drinker. I can hold my drink pretty well but thats because I know how to pace myself and I know my limit. How much I can actually handle depends greatly on my mood. I can also happily go out to a pub without drinking.

My greatest gripe with Ireland is the lack of anything to do *besides* drink. The pub hours are designed to make us all binge drinkers and the few coffee shops that are nice to sit in close early. Its like saying "well you don't drink you may as well go to bed early".

Trojan

Yep, and that's not even counting the 6 Nations... this Saturday is going to be hard to handle - first match starts at 2pm, last one finishes at ~10pm Sat evening. Even given the 2 hour break whilst I'm in Lansdowne, that's still a guaranteed 8 or 9 hours in the pub if I want to watch the games with my mates and a decent atmosphere.

And if we do win the triple crown wave goodbye to Sunday.

That's how to blow ~200 yoyos without even thinking about it!

Gillie

I think the problem is the youth.
I mean kids of 15 - 20. Feel that they have to drink too much because of peer pressure or whatever.

Most ppl I know can handle themselves and drink sensibly (sp?).

The only ppl I see totally wasted whenever their out are students and young ppl of 16 - 20 yrs of age! Sorry for the Generalisation here but it seems to be a growing trend.

Some of you say that your pressured into drinking by friends in the pub?
Not great friend then are they?:rolleyes:
Just tell them to f*ck off next time.
You should never feel pressured to go out and drink. A mate of mine hasn't come out to the pub since 1st March coz he's off the fags and I respect that.
He will come back out when the ban comes in! Fair play to him.

Peer pressure is for kids not adults!

p.pete

Originally posted by Gillie
Peer pressure is for kids not adults!

Peer pressure is for everyone - it's just assumed that you've learnt some basic decision making skills by a certain age (not holding myself up as an example in case Syke decides to give a ROFL:D ).

joePC

Peer pressure is for kids not adults!

I think what you mean to say is you personally dont feel perr presure should be use by adults, and if your weak enough to fall for it then you deserve it, sorry but its true STAND UP FOR YOURSELFS

Thanks joePC

Gillie

I agree 100% Joe!
Other ppl should not dictate your drinking habits!

Stark

Ah peer pressure. You can be as strong-willed as you like, it's still annoying as **** having people in your ear all night "why aren't you drinking, ah go on have one, let me buy you one?" etc. etc. Ffs, people should mind their own business. I don't notice what people around me are drinking. I can't drink beer or soft/juice drinks and drinking water all night (so people can be happy that you've something in your hand, god bless 'em the sight of an empty palm is such a distressing sight) makes you feel bloated. Could drink diet sodas but that would be damn expensive when it's no much easier just to lose your compulsive habits and concentrate on the company. Although then you run the risk of getting thrown out for using the premises and not buying anything ...

ferdi

Originally posted by SheroN
I can drink 14 pints, some people call it a problem, I call it a gift.

bingo - irelands problem in a nut shell

Gillie

Irelands problem isn't someone drinking 14 pints - our problem is someone drinking 14 pints (or any amount) and subsequently starting trouble!
Its a mindset! Alcohol does not Make ppl viloent. Its in their personality and alcohol gives them that "dutch courage" bulls*it and thats when the problems start!

Maybe the drinking age should be increased to 21?
What do ye think?

GuanYin

Originally posted by Gillie
Irelands problem isn't someone drinking 14 pints - our problem is someone drinking 14 pints (or any amount) and subsequently starting trouble!
Its a mindset! Alcohol does not Make ppl viloent. Its in their personality and alcohol gives them that "dutch courage" bulls*it and thats when the problems start!

Actually its not the drinking amount, people in other countries drink that much and don't all go insane at 2am. Its a combination of binge drinking over a short time and then being dumped out on the street with 20 thousand other drunk people at exactly the same time. Add to this a lack of policing ability, no decent infrastructure to cope with this amount of people atthat tiem of night and you're just asking for trouble.

Originally posted by Gillie
Maybe the drinking age should be increased to 21?
What do ye think?

Maybe as a temporary basis, but that alone wouldn't solve anything andwould aggrivate many. If they dealt with the issues above and added that in I'd support it. If they did it alone I wouldn't.

ferdi

Originally posted by Gillie
Irelands problem isn't someone drinking 14 pints - our problem is someone drinking 14 pints (or any amount) and subsequently starting trouble!
Its a mindset! Alcohol does not Make ppl viloent. Its in their personality and alcohol gives them that "dutch courage" bulls*it and thats when the problems start!

Maybe the drinking age should be increased to 21?
What do ye think?

as far as i'm concerned - it is very much part of the problem -

average recommended alcoholic units per week for men - 28

amount of units in 14 pints (consumed in 1 night) - 32

see where i'm coming from?

egan007

Originally posted by Trojan
Yep, and that's not even counting the 6 Nations... this Saturday is going to be hard to handle - first match starts at 2pm, last one finishes at ~10pm Sat evening. Even given the 2 hour break whilst I'm in Lansdowne, that's still a guaranteed 8 or 9 hours in the pub if I want to watch the games with my mates and a decent atmosphere.

And if we do win the triple crown wave goodbye to Sunday.

That's how to blow ~200 yoyos without even thinking about it!

back to work and stop thinking bout drinking

check - www.drinkfeckgirls.com
(work safe)

zeris

Originally posted by Gillie
Maybe the drinking age should be increased to 21? What do ye think?

Won't change a thing. People drink underage now. This will just make it worse. Banning doesn't solve problems, it may give you a framework to deal with problems, but that is hard task, especially in a country like Ireland where social services are a joke.

Also, in the USA where the drinking age is 21, heavy and binge drinking peaks at 21. In Ireland, we would just be postponing by 3 years, but not solving.

Mighty_Mouse

strict 20/21's policy would be good! Very strict like america where you just turn up with your passport and dont have a hissy-fit if asked for ID.

Theres **** all people over 21 that casue the trouble of the streets at night and thats what ppl want solved. Should be general education lessons in primary and secondary school also on sex, eating and fitness, drinking, driving, manners, world cultures etc etc

But over 21 pubs should open all night and the cartel of publicans should be investigated and broken.
The vitners should be investigated for anti-competition policies etc

SprostonGreen

I first started drinking when I was 15, I used to love getting locked up until the age of about 22.

It can bore me now. Friday nights I usually stay in with a bottle of wine and a few smokes. Saturday nights I like to go to a pub, (not one where you have to pay in) a have a few beers, no more than about 5. I dont get locked anymore, just merry.

I have a mate who gets wasted all the time, drinks goldschlangers, tequilas and all that muck, he's a complete twat when he's like that and now I tend to leave earlier than him or avoid him when he's drunk.

I'd never spend more than about €50 or €60 on drink, I think thats way too much. Sometimes after a few beers I drink soft drinks, becuase getting drunk just makes me want my bed.

Ideally I'd like to go for dinner and then have a few drinks and then **** off home.

Anyway I think our whole culture is based around the pub/booze, there doesnt seem to much else to do, I wish it was different.

Guy Incognito

As a non-drinker with no experience of underage drinking and its culture, can someone tell me how under 18s get drink?

Is it just off licences not asking for i.d. or older friends/siblings or what?

I never asked anyone before and it's always bothered me.

If it's older friends, are they over 21 too because the American's no-under-21-always-ask-for-i.d. law would help here for that problem, wouldn't it?

Note I said help, not solve the problem.

LegacyUser

Originally posted by Senor_Fudge
lads if its the cost thing just take up smoking hash
about 100-120 an ounce ya'll get a good 120 joints off it
some tobacco and papers - sorted

its just like drink without the sick feeling or hangover
thats what i do and dont bother much with drink now maybe 1 or 2 MAX
cause then ya just get too wasted

drink has this country ruined!

alcoholol doesn't give u cancer though

LegacyUser

Originally posted by Guy Incognito
As a non-drinker with no experience of underage drinking and its culture, can someone tell me how under 18s get drink?

Is it just off licences not asking for i.d. or older friends/siblings or what?

I never asked anyone before and it's always bothered me.

If it's older friends, are they over 21 too because the American's no-under-21-always-ask-for-i.d. law would help here for that problem, wouldn't it?

Note I said help, not solve the problem.

kids hang around outside offlicenses and ask people passing to buy them drink, been asked a lot myself and for good or bad have always bought them what they wanted
/edit: they pay 4 the drink !

paulthelegend

Maybe the drinking age should be increased to 21? What do ye think?

Since im over 21 this wouldnt effect me but i think its a silly idea! so your able to have sex and have kids at the age of 17 but want drinking to be limited to 21? I think its up to the individual person. I love having choices! everyone has a right to choices. Let everyone else make there own mistakes and if there smart they will learn from there mistakes.

As for everyone saying that drink is evil and should be banned totally... i bet if you remembered the top 10 days of your life, about 7 would be alcohol fueled(higher if you didnt have kids etc cause i guess there births would be pritty good). I go out and drink responsibly, get drunk but not to drunk and have a great laugh. Just because people cant learn to do this thats there own fault. If the government was to try and help in any way it would be to study people who have found that place they always talk about ... moderation. and find out how some people can drink in moderation and some cant and then have leasons about how to know your limit.

And put all the time saved trying to enforce a 21 age limit into setting up a proper crime computer database for this country... how long do you think its gona be till gardai have laptops in there cars :P