Stone Cold Sober

wheres me jumpa

http://www.carlowpeople.ie/news/six-are-stone-cold-sober-1999308.html

ANOTHER YEAR over and a new one just begun.

Tis the season for resolutions and who better to get you thinking than six lads from Tullow who gave up the sup for six months?

The group, comprising three brothers and three friends, got so fed up with the same ole same ole of going to the pub every weekend that they decided a change was needed.

Now their six months of sobriety is the subject of a four-week series called Stone Cold Sober, the first programme to be aired on RTE television on Monday, January 11.

'Our attitudes towards drink have definitely changed,' Gerry Kelly, one of the group said. 'We're just six normal lads who gave up drink. We thought that we'd be pulling our hair out but we ended up really enjoying it.'

Gerry was the one who came up with the idea after returning home from a working holiday in New Zealand. He put it to the Crowson brothers, Jimmy, Mattie and Liam and soon, two other friends, Derek Rooney and Brian Carroll were on board.

Gerry then made a pilot film of his friends and sent it to television production companies, with EO Teilifis taking the bait.

The group of friends were first checked out medically before embarking on an alcohol free adventure. This included trips to funfairs, excursions on quad biking and even a holiday in Ibiza.

'We just had to put up with it, dancing without any drink in us,' Gerry laughed. 'We wanted to challenge ourselves over the months, too.'

And a challenge it certainly was for the lads but it was also a journey of self discovery for them.

'I realised that everyone has to do their own thing,' Gerry continued. 'You can't let others tell you what to do and if you have good friends, then they'll support you.'

The friends got to see the world without their beer goggles and came to realise that young people, in particular need to be educated about safe drinking habits.

'There is a real lack of leadership about alcohol and its proper use in this country,' Gerry concluded. 'You don't have to demonise alcohol but you do need to educate young people about it.

- Elizabeth LEE

Show starts next Monday. It should be fun to see them around Tullow/Carlow. I didnt realise it was the idea of one of the lads in the group. Hats off to him for the idea and determination to get paid!

ShayK1

can't wait for it tbh, I thought is was due to air last January so it better be worth the wait.
Gerry or 'G' is the brain child behind it all. They're a great bunch of lads but for God's Sake don't go on the piss with them!!!

snorlax

http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/stone_cold_sober.html

apparently it's going to be about a few lads who give up beer..think they're heading to the Foundary..tonight at 10.30 RTE2

ShayK1

thread merged. No need for 2.

byhookorbycrook

it's on big screen in the Tara afaik tonight.

sweeney555

Thought it was a great show, man they all look way older than there age

Nead21

yeah thought that too. two of the lads especially look in the mid to late 30s at best!!

if there was ever proof that drinking excelerates the aging process then thats it!

Villain

Good show and fair play to the lads but don't think it did Tullow any favours tbh

SIX PACK

yeah its an interesting reality programme Looking forward to the next stage. I think its Ibiza

SpitfireIV

I've heard about this show (mainly on the radio where you get the usual comments from the presenter 'oh my god I dont know how they do it!!). I find it funny though that a programme about 6 guys giving up drink gets so much attention! :eek: Believe it or not people, but there are actually Irish people that dont drink! :P

Don1

Its not stating that everyone drinks, just that there is a culture of drinking in the country and they wanted to show that you can break the cycle and still feel like you've a life.

And no, I'm not saying that those who choose to abstain don't have lives, just saying, for those involved in the drink scene, it is hard to duck out without feeling lost.

I say fair play to them.

Nead21

i find the phrase "culture of drinking" kinda a copout really and is used way too much as an excuse. at the end of the day, it's a personal choice, and you cant blame only external factors when making choices......just my 2c

Essien

Thought last nights show was good, looks like they put on a good show with the comedy night.

The Gish

Essien wrote: »

Thought last nights show was good, looks like they put on a good show with the comedy night.

Sorry folks but I have to disagree with a lot of the previous posts. The show is not entertainment in any way shape or form. (Personally speaking of course)
I have read with some interest over the past while posts relating to the program and I waited up to see it and was most disappointed.

I am paying my TV fees for this?????????????????

Essien

The Gish wrote: »

Sorry folks but I have to disagree with a lot of the previous posts. The show is not entertainment in any way shape or form. (Personally speaking of course)
I have read with some interest over the past while posts relating to the program and I waited up to see it and was most disappointed.

I am paying my TV fees for this?????????????????

Tbh I didnt particularly enjoy the first 2 episodes, thought they made Tullow look a bit **** really. Maybe I'm just comparing last nights to the first 2 episodes but I thought there were a couple of genuinely funny parts in it, like the poor dude in the front row with the hair. On the other hand, I can see how people who dont know the lads think its poor tv.

ShayK1

I'm really enjoying it. Having a right laugh. Can't wait for next monday.

@The Gish: I believe you pay your TV fees for the right to receive Television broadcasts. Its up to you whether you choose to watch it or not. You could always switch the channel?

Do many of you guys know the 6 lads?
I went to school with Jimmy and he was always deadly at Art. Was nice to see him doing a bit of drawing again.

Essien

ShayK1 wrote: »

I'm really enjoying it. Having a right laugh. Can't wait for next monday.

@The Gish: I believe you pay your TV fees for the right to receive Television broadcasts. Its up to you whether you choose to watch it or not. You could always switch the channel?

Do many of you guys know the 6 lads?
I went to school with Jimmy and he was always deadly at Art. Was nice to see him doing a bit of drawing again.

I was under the impression that our TV License fees pay RTE who in turn commission the show?

I know most of the lads to some degree, sound bunch tbh. Jimmy looked tasty at the Art alright didnt he!?

ShayK1

seems I'm filled with ignorance

rte.ie wrote:

What is the licence fee used for?
The greater proportion of RTÉ's activities are public service activities but the cost of providing these services is well in excess of the amount of public funding received in the form of Licence Fee revenue. As a result RTÉ is critically reliant on a Dual Public / Commercial funding model and must engage in ancillary commercial activities aimed at generating commercial revenues to bridge the gap in public funding received.

The accompanying pie-chart shows the attribution of Licence Fee revenues, received by RTÉ during 2008, to some of the public service activities carried out. The table following separately sets out a representation of how the proportion of each Licence Fee received was utilised during 2008 as RTÉ neither receives, nor is entitled to the benefit of, all of the Licence Fee monies collected.

http://www.rte.ie/about/licence.html

My apologies.

The Gish

ShayK1 wrote: »

I'm really enjoying it. Having a right laugh. Can't wait for next monday.

@The Gish: I believe you pay your TV fees for the right to receive Television broadcasts. Its up to you whether you choose to watch it or not. You could always switch the channel?

Do many of you guys know the 6 lads?
I went to school with Jimmy and he was always deadly at Art. Was nice to see him doing a bit of drawing again.

My fees go towards the development of our national station and of course for the payments to broadcasters from other counteries to allow us to watch our own matches. (Saracasm I know)

As Eissen stated, if you know the lads it would of course make it funnier and more enjoyable.

Seriously, there were some moments in the program that I watched but as a whole you would need to know the background behind the story. IE Know the lads themselves and what they were like years ago. Probably something like myself,.....God help them lol
Having said all of that I would prefer to see home grown programs rather than some of the other tripe on tv. At least one of the lads might be seen by a producer and become the next Robert Redford?

mink_man

when was this recorded?

Catari Jaguar

ShayK1 wrote: »

I went to school with Jimmy and he was always deadly at Art. Was nice to see him doing a bit of drawing again.

Yea, that was cool alright. If you see him tell him he's a big dirty roide. Yum!

Nead21

Lil Kitten wrote: »

If you see him tell him he's a big dirty roide. Yum!

LOL...that made my morning!!

last seen in Dalton's in Tullow

ShayK1

mink_man wrote: »

when was this recorded?

From July to December 2008

Lil Kitten wrote: »

Yea, that was cool alright. If you see him tell him he's a big dirty roide. Yum!

Should I also tell him who the message is from?