why do Irish people drink so much?

lufties

So I went out last night to meet some friends of a friend, they were a group of Irish girls. It brought back memories of how I used to go out to get drunk when I lived in ireland. I felt so uncomfortable amongst the group, they were boring and not very mannerly. They were just interested in getting pished. I had a few myself and a few laughs.

Sometimes I think the drink is a cover up for opening up, one thing I noticed about this group of gals is that none of the appeared authentic and engaging. Its a shame but reminded me of how I've changed in recent times.

RobYourBuilder

Dear diary......

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

**** all else to do and best way to get some girl to let you **** her. Same as in a lot fo countries. Slash thread.

Sand

We don't really. France, Austria, Estonia and Germany all drink more per capita than the Irish do. Its just they don't go on and on and on about drinking and having the craic. Whereas we allow a drinks company to use the country as part of their brand identity.

darkpagandeath

We are in the middle for alcohol consumption in the EU so should it not be why do Europeans drink so much ?

MarkAnthony

It's a general repression IMHO, primarily sexual repression. People essentially want to go out and feel good. Drink helps with that at the time but it also allows people to open up and be friendly but also shag about with an excuse.

There is still this massive catholic stick up people's arse in this country. You can see it in people's attitudes to all manner of things. In France/Italy even Germany you can go out, have a few drinks, chat to a few girls and if you like each other you might have sex. You wake up in the morning both go on your merry ways (without a hang over that would stun a bull) and no one bats an eyelid.

Here you need the cover of OMG I was so drunk otherwise you're a sober slag, which apparently is worse than being a drunken one. Why we can't just realise we're all the same and just looking for a good time I've no idea but there we go. It's one of the main differences between the Scots and the Irish IMHO; in Scotland you get drunk and do something bad its worse than doing it sober. Here it's an excuse - I could never get that.

My 2 cents - Not that I'm complaining I'm the same in some regards, but as you get older, settle down you simply grow-up.

To address the above ref alcohol consumption it's not how much we drink, its how we drink it. The French and Italians will drink over the course of afternoon and evening usually with a mean or two. In Ireland we drink from 10pm to 3am probably with a nagan at home before we get to coppers.

Grayson

Because it's fcuking awesome.

Chancer3001

The weather is cat.

If it's lashing rain all you can do is go cinema or bowling or drinking.

First two are minus craic.

Third one is the most craic ever and you might get to have sex.

That's why

Realt Dearg Sec

Because we aren't as sparkling and witty and interesting and evolved as the OP. I mean, I assume that's what you're getting at anyway.

Nermal

Sand wrote: »

We don't really. France, Austria, Estonia and Germany all drink more per capita than the Irish do. Its just they don't go on and on and on about drinking and having the craic. Whereas we allow a drinks company to use the country as part of their brand identity.

He doesn't mean drinking wine with dinner. Irish, British, Scandinavians and some Eastern Europeans constantly drink to get plastered and think it's hilarious and fun. The rest of Europe doesn't.

Carpe_Noche

Why do English people drink so much?
Why do Russian people drink so much?
Why do Polish people drink so much?

It's not a nationality issue, it's a people issue - and it doesn't apply to all of us either.

lertsnim

lufties wrote: »

So I went out last night to meet some friends of a friend, they were a group of Irish girls. It brought back memories of how I used to go out to get drunk when I lived in ireland. I felt so uncomfortable amongst the group, they were boring and not very mannerly. They were just interested in getting pished. I had a few myself and a few laughs.

Sometimes I think the drink is a cover up for opening up, one thing I noticed about this group of gals is that none of the appeared authentic and engaging. Its a shame but reminded me of how I've changed in recent times.

I am sure I have encountered such groups in other countries too. It's not always just Ireland.

chicorytip

Sand wrote: »

We don't really. France, Austria, Estonia and Germany all drink more per capita than the Irish do. Its just they don't go on and on and on about drinking and having the craic. Whereas we allow a drinks company to use the country as part of their brand identity.

Excellent point.Add the U.S. to that list.

catallus

Nermal wrote: »

The rest of Europe doesn't.

Yes they do; they're always getting shít-faced.

Looking at it from-the-outside-in it is pretty obvious that we feel guilty and subservient due to being conquered and pillaged by our nearest neighbour for the best part of 1000 years.

So we beat ourselves up every chance we get; it is classic victim behaviour.

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Because we aren't as sparkling and witty and interesting and evolved as the OP. I mean, I assume that's what you're getting at anyway.

Straight on the defensive. .well that speaks volumes.

amdublin

I'm Irish. I don't drink that much.

Grayson

amdublin wrote: »

I'm Irish. I don't drink that much.

Try harder then :P

Realt Dearg Sec

Nermal wrote: »

He doesn't mean drinking wine with dinner. Irish, British, Scandinavians and some Eastern Europeans constantly drink to get plastered and think it's hilarious and fun. The rest of Europe doesn't.

This is another myth that you read often on boards and it's total ****e. Go out in Barcelona, not a tourist area, any Friday night, it's mobbed with young kids of sixteen or so drinking till they puke. That habit doesn't disappear in their twenties. I've seen how French people drink, it isn't a glass of wine at dinner, it's a shot of good knows what at morning, lunch and dinner, all day, which is absolutely not healthy.

The difference between Europe and us isn't that they don't binge drink. It's that they don't have large platoons of the Craic Nazis roaming around looking for ways to feel superior to everyone by ****e talking about how terrible and uncultured and unhealthy we are because we don't want to spend our weekends eating quinoa and watching Grays Anatomy.

Grayson

lufties wrote: »

Straight on the defensive. .well that speaks volumes.

To be fair you started by saying that people who drink aren't open and engaging. You set the tone of the conversation before there was a single reply.

And in defense of the poster you're replying to, they were making a joke. You weren't.

K.Flyer

To answer the thread question,
Its because a lot of Irish drinkers feel that they are under some sort of obligation to fulfil the reputation that the Irish are a bunch of knuckle dragging pi$$ heads.

NoviGlitzko

Chancer3001 wrote: »

The weather is cat.

If it's lashing rain all you can do is go cinema or bowling or drinking.

First two are minus craic.

Third one is the most craic ever and you might get to have sex.

That's why

This in a nutshell. Then theirs the likes of me who has a girlfriend for many years but still goes out to get ****faced anyway.

downonthefarm

Because smoking pot hasn't been made legal yet

lufties

MarkAnthony wrote: »

It's a general repression IMHO, primarily sexual repression. People essentially want to go out and feel good. Drink helps with that at the time but it also allows people to open up and be friendly but also shag about with an excuse.

There is still this massive catholic stick up people's arse in this country. You can see it in people's attitudes to all manner of things. In France/Italy even Germany you can go out, have a few drinks, chat to a few girls and if you like each other you might have sex. You wake up in the morning both go on your merry ways (without a hang over that would stun a bull) and no one bats an eyelid.

Here you need the cover of OMG I was so drunk otherwise you're a sober slag, which apparently is worse than being a drunken one. Why we can't just realise we're all the same and just looking for a good time I've no idea but there we go. It's one of the main differences between the Scots and the Irish IMHO; in Scotland you get drunk and do something bad its worse than doing it sober. Here it's an excuse - I could never get that.

My 2 cents - Not that I'm complaining I'm the same in some regards, but as you get older, settle down you simply grow-up.

To address the above ref alcohol consumption it's not how much we drink, its how we drink it. The French and Italians will drink over the course of afternoon and evening usually with a mean or two. In Ireland we drink from 10pm to 3am probably with a nagan at home before we get to coppers.

Absolutely very accurate post..I found it hard to put into words. Last night it felt like there was an uncomfortable vibe in the air, a kind aggressiveness..I love the feel good factor of a few drinks too, sometimes when talking to irish people I've met for the first time, im afraid to share my thoughts and experiences for fear of being abused or thought of as thinking I'm above them. These girls were all from dublin and certainly had notions of themselves, as soon as I opened my mouth with my country accent I got the glazed over look. Why can't we just have a normal night out with the theatrics.

NoviGlitzko

K.Flyer wrote: »

To answer the thread question,
Its because a lot of Irish drinkers feel that they are under some sort of obligation to fulfil the reputation that the Irish are a bunch of knuckle dragging pi$$ heads.

I don't know if your being serious or not, but do you really think people would be bothered to go out and spend a lot of money just to fulfill that reputation? People pop out 'cos they want a good time - it's just Irish people like too have too much of a good time. :pac:

RobertKK

They drink so much because some of us don't drink alcohol and they are just making up for people like me...who drinks a lot of tea...

Venus In Furs

Because it's enjoyable.

Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

im afraid to share my thoughts and experiences for fear of being abused or thought of as thinking I'm above them.

That doesn't seem related to drink though. You certainly do seem to think you're better than these women you were out with, so...

Grayson

RobertKK wrote: »

They drink so much because some of us don't drink alcohol and they are just making up for people like me...who drinks a lot of tea...

Because I don't drink tea. Thank you for drinking my share of the tea.

I wonder who the dozen or so non coffee drinkers who subsidise my habit are.

downonthefarm

Because smoking pot hasn't been made legal yet

Grayson

Venus In Furs wrote: »

Because it's enjoyable.

I will admit that as much as i enjoy drinking, the 12 pubs terrified me.

catallus

downonthefarm wrote: »

Because smoking pot hasn't been made legal yet

Is there an echo in here? :pac:

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

That doesn't seem related to drink though. You certainly do seem to think you're better than these women you were out with, so...

Well I got a coldish reception initially so it kinda set the tone..and yeah, these girls were uninteresting, unwelcoming.

Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

Well I got a coldish reception initially so it kinda set the tone..and yeah, these girls were uninteresting, unwelcoming.

But joking aside, that seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with drinking.

ThinkAboutIt

Because by and large they have nothing else to do, and spend their weekends getting so drunk so they can forget how bad their lives are Monday to Friday. What a way to live.

Mesrine65

Drinking in Ireland is not simply a convivial pastime, it is a ritualistic alternative to real life, a spiritual placebo, a fumble for eternity, a longing for heaven, a thirst for return to the embrace of the Almighty...

Contemporary Irish drinking patterns, particularly drinking regularly to intoxication, have their roots in history where alcohol often made the difference between survival & death.

This propensity has been carried down in the Irish cultural DNA as a sort of unspoken dispensation for us Irish to regard hard drinking as a justifiable consolation for 800 years of extreme poverty, shame, starvation & persecution suffered by our forebears under colonial rule, but which we ourselves have never endured...

Actually...no, we just like to get pissed

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

But joking aside, that seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with drinking.

It does in the context of what I'm talking about..this group seemed to lack socially and were boozing to camouflage it imo.

Realt Dearg Sec

ThinkAboutIt wrote: »

Because by and large they have nothing else to do, and spend their weekends getting so drunk so they can forget how bad their lives are Monday to Friday. What a way to live.

What, out of interest, do you do on the weekend? I really hope it's something that justifies that level of condescension.

darced

This post has been deleted.

Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

It does in the context of what I'm talking about..this group seemed to lack socially and were boozing to camouflage it imo.

So out of interest, why do you think they should be interested in your thoughts and experiences? Did you express any interest in theirs? It sounds like you decided in advance that they weren't interesting to you but you seem to expect that they should find you interesting?

EDIT: I really don't want to sound like I'm having a go here, but to be fair you started by more or less dismissing these people out of hand so I would be interested to know what exactly you brought to the table.

lufties

darced wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Thats your perspective, im always up for a laugh but I just didn't click with these..telling me how they are flying copehagen for a work party and how big they're apartment is. Feck that, just have a normal conversation.

Venus In Furs

I don't know. Sometimes it is just wanting to have fun.
And the stuff about "catholic repression" (that thing gets done to death here, yet look at the bunch of sexually liberated threads - bit contradictory) and "masking" - it's kinda like people *like* finding all these poor character traits in (their fellow) Irish people.

I know alcohol is used for Dutch courage by a significant few for sure, but that's not just an Irish thing.

It's stupid to be getting wasted regularly to the point of blacking out for sure - most people grow out of that thankfully.

MarkAnthony

darced wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this and probably bang on. However as you start to get older you want this less and less. I never wanted it every week-end but it seems to be the norm here.

You drift into your late twenties (in my experience) and you realise how much you enjoyed spending an evening drinking in moderation, having a nice meal ans chatting. You start to do that more and the mad nights out less. Obviously family/buying a house etc effects things too. You still have the odd mad night as change is as good as a rest, but you'll drift away for people you realise you don't really have much in common with - which didn't really matter when you did have something in common and that was getting **** faced.

This happens at different rates, and doesn't happen to everyone, social class will also play a major factor.

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

So out of interest, why do you think they should be interested in your thoughts and experiences? Did you express any interest in theirs? It sounds like you decided in advance that they weren't interesting to you but you seem to expect that they should find you interesting?

EDIT: I really don't want to sound like I'm having a go here, but to be fair you started by more or less dismissing these people out of hand so I would be interested to know what exactly you brought to the table.

Its body language, darting eyes..asking me questions but not listening or interested in the answers. I said to myself, why am I bothering. It was like they were only out to get pissed.

darced

This post has been deleted.

RobertKK

Grayson wrote: »

Because I don't drink tea. Thank you for drinking my share of the tea.

I wonder who the dozen or so non coffee drinkers who subsidise my habit are.

You are welcome, I do my best lol

MarkAnthony

Venus In Furs wrote: »

I don't know. Sometimes it is just wanting to have fun.
And the stuff about "catholic repression" (that thing gets done to death here, yet look at the bunch of sexually liberated threads - bit contradictory) and "masking" - it's kinda like people *like* finding all these poor character traits in (their fellow) Irish people.

I know alcohol is used for Dutch courage by a significant few for sure, but that's not just an Irish thing.

It's stupid to be getting wasted regularly to the point of blacking out for sure - most people grow out of that thankfully.

Be it the catholic indoctrination or not Irish culture is sexually repressed. It's the same in the UK although to a lesser extent. I'd wager the majority of any given person sexual partners are as a result of having a few. It goes beyond the Dutch courage needed to get over the fear of rejection and gets to the point where people end up regretting their casual sexual encounters rather than taking them for what they are, normal people doing normal (hopefully not too normal :pac:) things.

bee06

Sounds more like its a problem with the girls you were out with than the "Irish" problem with drink. If you don't like them, don't go out with them!

Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

Its body language, darting eyes..asking me questions but not listening or interested in the answers. I said to myself, why am I bothering. It was like they were only out to get pissed.

Grand but that's just them. You posted a little while ago in another thread that you think Irish people are less sophisticated than Londoners. Fackin' Landoners innit? Fackin sophisticated innit? Gettin fackin lairy eh? You cahnts!

I hope you see the point I'm getting at here. When Irish people generalise that Irish people are "less sophisticated" (whatever on earth that might mean) they invariably mean "Irish people other than me". No offence, but what is so interesting about you, exactly, that they would want to talk to you about your thoughts and experiences?

lufties

darced wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Its a confidence thing too..people who get blind drunk are usually not truly confident people. Which would you rather be around?

Venus In Furs

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Be it the catholic indoctrination or not Irish culture is sexually repressed. It's the same in the UK although to a lesser extent. I'd wager the majority of any given person sexual partners are as a result of having a few. It goes beyond the Dutch courage needed to get over the fear of rejection and gets to the point where people end up regretting their casual sexual encounters rather than taking them for what they are, normal people doing normal (hopefully not too normal :pac:) things.

Yeh we're not quite the French, but don't you think things are relaxing a bit in that department in Irish culture?
There's an ocean between today and ye olde magdalene days.

smurgen

lufties wrote: »

Its a confidence thing too..people who get blind drunk are usually not truly confident people. Which would you rather be around?

My friend drinks a lot and he lacks confidence and he's one of the funniest people ive ever met.I'd pick him over some confident bore any day.people who are too well adjusted are ****ing boring