Pubs Closed - The Poor Drunks

FixdePitchmark

Don't get me wrong - I love a pint in the pub myself.

But you know these lads who were going to pubs every day - basically their life.

I was wondering how they coped with pubs closed - where did they go.

Must have been a bigger shock than covid - pubs haven't been closed in Ireland - in 100s of years.

Also - you missing the pub yourself ?

CrankyHaus

Couldn't give less of a toss. The weather's so good you can meet up with your friends to just go on the knack instead.

The heads who were in there every day must be horsing through crates in their gaffs, and maybe each others if they need the company.

I heard rumours about one local pub doing a lockin, and maybe there's one in every town to cater to the alcos.

Thelonious Monk

Well it's not much of a life to begin with. And I'm sure they're just drinking at home now instead.

FanadMan

I was a 7 night a week man. 2 - 4 pints, good music on my phone and darts and I was happy. Since the lockdown its been a couple of cans, good music on speakers rather than headphones and darts at home playing against people all over the world. And I'm way happier.....no walk home (which I do actually miss when the weather is nice) and a lot more money in my pocket. Really couldn't give a shyte if the pubs ever opened again.

dd973

Globally, I've a feeling there's bigger stuff coming down the line than what being in a line of self-important pricks perched on a barstool can offer, not talking about all pubs but you know the types of pubs and people I'm on about.

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Imagine needing a few pints most nights to enjoy yourself... you gotta have pity on these people.

Boring sh!tes with nothing better to do with their free time than drink, and probably zero personality without the gargle in their system. Relics of the past!

Kylta

With the fine weather we had there were a lot drinking out doors. I'd imagine there are people who go the pub not just to drink but to socialise especially folk who live on there own. I also think with the lockdown their will be partners releasing that the other half might have a drink problem. But I think the way the pub system was is about to change even if they reduce the social distancing to 1metre. I have a friend after a few pints likes to mingle around people thats gone. And the publican will raise the pint to cover costs, dentist, opticians etc are already doing this. The pub has we know it I think its finished.
If we had the weather maybe barbecue is the way forward. Maybe we could invented winter barbecues. But in regards to the pint, you can't beat it, its special if pulled right, tinnies and bottles don't really measure up. Unless your an alcoholic and then I suppose anything will do

Cannot wait for them to *open, bottles/cans at home have been grand and I’d do that on a normal week too but you can’t beat the craic in the pub or Guinness on draught.

*open properly again not some table service hybrid. A lot of the places I drink don’t serve food anyway so won’t be opening for a while.

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

Imagine needing a few pints most nights to enjoy yourself... you gotta have pity on these people.

Boring sh!tes with nothing better to do with their free time than drink, and probably zero personality without the gargle in their system. Relics of the past!

Alcoholism is horrible.

I don't pity the people. I try to understand that if I was addicted to something which was legal and actively promoted, how I would react.

Loads of people can have a couple and leave it at that, but not a negligible amount can not. And it consumes their life. They can be a great parent, a great partner and a great friend, but secretly, all they want is a drink.

I'd never ask for alcohol to be banned, as the inability of a few to control their intake should not dictate what is available to the masses, but I do think that your oversimplification and low key distain for addicts of a legal substance is a little cruel.

Car99

The poor drunks arent out in public and causing the emergency services and A&E unnecessary grief with extra workload. It'll be interesting to see the drop in alcohol related garda and medical call outs since covid lockdown.

hurler32

Some people like to go out and meet a few others and have a few pints , big social element to it . Many people leave on their own , retired etc .

I’d far prefer to do that than sit in my house drinking cans .

julyjane

I met one of them out cycling a few weeks ago. I was walking and he was cycling in the other direction a fair distance from his home, no particular hurry he was just rolling along admiring the view an area that's popular with walkers and cyclists alike but I thought I was seeing things when I saw him cycling towards me. I think I've only ever seen him in the pub before or walking home from the pub.

Pkiernan

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Couldn't give less of a toss. The weather's so good you can meet up with your friends to just go on the knack instead.

.

Your post will soon be deleted from the archives of history due to your use of a derogatory word...

endacl

julyjane wrote: »

I met one of them out cycling a few weeks ago. I was walking and he was cycling in the other direction a fair distance from his home, no particular hurry he was just rolling along admiring the view an area that's popular with walkers and cyclists alike but I thought I was seeing things when I saw him cycling towards me. I think I've only ever seen him in the pub before or walking home from the pub.

I wonder if he might post the same thing about you?

Bassfish

Fella in my village is a sad case. His daily ritual was go to work in a warehouse, bus home, straight in to the pub, after four or five pints the barman subtly ignores his calling for more drink, he gets the message and leaves and goes home to where his family don't allow him to drink. That seemed to sustain him. He's a pity but largely harmless. Since Covid his job is gone and his social outlet is gone so by 11am most mornings, rain or shine, he's down in the village square, sitting on a bench drinking cans from a back pack. I've seen him get through 12 cans of an afternoon and fall asleep on the bench. I've also heard he's started shouting at people who say anything to him. At least pubs offer some level of regulation and boundaries around drinking. I can't see him going back to pub drinking when they re-open.

Yester

FanadMan wrote: »

I was a 7 night a week man. 2 - 4 pints, good music on my phone and darts and I was happy. Since the lockdown its been a couple of cans, good music on speakers rather than headphones and darts at home playing against people all over the world. And I'm way happier.....no walk home (which I do actually miss when the weather is nice) and a lot more money in my pocket. Really couldn't give a shyte if the pubs ever opened again.

How do you play darts at home?

antodeco

Yester wrote: »

How do you play darts at home?

It's pretty much the same as in the pub, except you use more batteries and gloves

Yester

antodeco wrote: »

It's pretty much the same as in the pub, except you use more batteries and gloves

Ok. I have darts batteries and gloves. What do I do now?

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Deleted User wrote: »

Alcoholism is horrible.

I don't pity the people. I try to understand that if I was addicted to something which was legal and actively promoted, how I would react.

Loads of people can have a couple and leave it at that, but not a negligible amount can not. And it consumes their life. They can be a great parent, a great partner and a great friend, but secretly, all they want is a drink.

I'd never ask for alcohol to be banned, as the inability of a few to control their intake should not dictate what is available to the masses, but I do think that your oversimplification and low key distain for addicts of a legal substance is a little cruel.

Oh, I know plenty about alcoholics...

But the cruelty is actually perpetrated by the people you mentioned in your post above... those who promote and actively encourage the consumption of a poison to the masses... completely legally. If you attempted to open up an establishment to legally sell heroin to joe and jane bloggs on the street, and promote it as great craic and a fun time, your business would be chased out of town... but alcohol is more insidious and more damaging to society than heroin ever will be... and yet public houses apparently are perfectly okay!?

Give me a break with your bleeding heart nonsense... these establishments ruin peoples lives and yet get a licence from our government to keep doing it every year! :rolleyes:

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

Oh, I know plenty about alcoholics...

But the cruelty is actually perpetrated by the people you mentioned in your post above... those who promote and actively encourage the consumption of a poison to the masses... completely legally. If you attempted to open up an establishment to legally sell heroin to joe and jane bloggs on the street, and promote it as great craic and a fun time, your business would be chased out of town... but alcohol is more insidious and more damaging to society than heroin ever will be... and yet public houses apparently are perfectly okay!?

Give me a break with your bleeding heart nonsense... these establishments ruin peoples lives and yet get a licence from our government to keep doing it every year! :rolleyes:

You’re the one spouting the nonsense there so you’ve some neck to say someone else is. It’s been a fair while since I’ve read such utter bollocks.

machiavellianme

Car99 wrote: »

The poor drunks arent out in public and causing the emergency services and A&E unnecessary grief with extra workload. It'll be interesting to see the drop in alcohol related garda and medical call outs since covid lockdown.

And yet the minimum unit pricing is nigh, apparently for health reasons!

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

Oh, I know plenty about alcoholics...

But the cruelty is actually perpetrated by the people you mentioned in your post above... those who promote and actively encourage the consumption of a poison to the masses... completely legally. If you attempted to open up an establishment to legally sell heroin to joe and jane bloggs on the street, and promote it as great craic and a fun time, your business would be chased out of town... but alcohol is more insidious and more damaging to society than heroin ever will be... and yet public houses apparently are perfectly okay!?

Give me a break with your bleeding heart nonsense... these establishments ruin peoples lives and yet get a licence from our government to keep doing it every year! :rolleyes:

Bleeding heart nonsense?

My point was that alcoholism is a scourge for those affected and that it is difficult for people with legal addictions to garner sympathy or help when the vast majority of people can enjoy their vice responsibly.

Roll your eyes however much you want to, but I can't see your point. Are you suggesting pubs should be closed and advocating for prohibition?

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Deleted User wrote: »

Bleeding heart nonsense?

My point was that alcoholism is a scourge for those affected and that it is difficult for people with legal addictions to garner sympathy or help when the vast majority of people can enjoy their vice responsibly.

Roll your eyes however much you want to, but I can't see your point. Are you suggesting pubs should be closed and advocating for prohibition?

You can't see my point?

It couldn't be more straightforward... alcohol has been proven time and time again, to be more damaging to society than any other drug. And yet we have legal establishments that promote and sell this drug/poison to the public.

If you did this with other dangerous drugs, such as heroin in my example above, society would not tolerate it... but for some strange reason, we tolerate it and even celebrate it with alcohol.

The only reason you don't see my point, is because you don't want to see my point... you have been conditioned to see pubs as being a completely normal aspect of society. But they are responsible for destroying countless lives and families!

Moderate drinkers (non-alcoholics) are actually enabling the alcoholics, by making alcohol ubiquitous in society and socially acceptable. This creates the environment where problem drinkers can exist in large numbers and quite often go undetected for many years... Just like every other drug, the casual users think they're not the problem. They think they have no role in the bigger picture - but you absolutely do! Because it's the drinking culture that creates the addicts... they require an environment to exist in. (same goes for every other addictive drug in society)

the beer revolu

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

You can't see my point?

It couldn't be more straightforward... alcohol has been proven time and time again, to be more damaging to society than any other drug. And yet we have legal establishments that promote and sell this drug/poison to the public.

If you did this with other dangerous drugs, such as heroin in my example above, society would not tolerate it... but for some strange reason, we tolerate it and even celebrate it with alcohol.

The only reason you don't see my point, is because you don't want to see my point... you have been conditioned to see pubs as being a completely normal aspect of society. But they are responsible for destroying countless lives and families!

Moderate drinkers (non-alcoholics) are actually enabling the alcoholics, by making alcohol ubiquitous in society and socially acceptable. This creates the environment where problem drinkers can exist in large numbers and quite often go undetected for many years... Just like every other drug, the casual users think they're not the problem. They think they have no role in the bigger picture - but you absolutely do! Because it's the drinking culture that creates the addicts... they require an environment to exist in. (same goes for every other addictive drug in society)

You still haven't suggested the solution.
Prohibition?

Zebra3

I don't get this thing of getting a pint delivered to your house in a plastic glass.

Where's the thrill in this? A few likes on social media?

"Aren't I mad?"?



Why not just buy a beer in the shop and pour it into a proper glass?

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

You can't see my point?

It couldn't be more straightforward... alcohol has been proven time and time again, to be more damaging to society than any other drug. And yet we have legal establishments that promote and sell this drug/poison to the public.

If you did this with other dangerous drugs, such as heroin in my example above, society would not tolerate it... but for some strange reason, we tolerate it and even celebrate it with alcohol.

The only reason you don't see my point, is because you don't want to see my point... you have been conditioned to see pubs as being a completely normal aspect of society. But they are responsible for destroying countless lives and families!

Moderate drinkers (non-alcoholics) are actually enabling the alcoholics, by making alcohol ubiquitous in society and socially acceptable. This creates the environment where problem drinkers can exist in large numbers and quite often go undetected for many years... Just like every other drug, the casual users think they're not the problem. They think they have no role in the bigger picture - but you absolutely do! Because it's the drinking culture that creates the addicts... they require an environment to exist in. (same goes for every other addictive drug in society)

No.

Re-read my post and try again.

I was actually acknowledging the devastating impact on freely available alcohol to people suffering with alcoholism.

Should pubs be closed because of the people who can't drink responsibly and should alcohol be banned?

Should fast food outlets be closed because of obesity?

Where do you draw the line?

biko

When the home village closed the fellas that sat there every day now instead go to each others houses.

FanadMan

Yester wrote: »

How do you play darts at home?

Webcam and site like nakka.com or lidarts.org
Some of us use fb messenger if we know the person.

B.A._Baracus

Zebra3 wrote: »

I don't get this thing of getting a pint delivered to your house in a plastic glass.

Where's the thrill in this? A few likes on social media?

"Aren't I mad?"?



Why not just buy a beer in the shop and pour it into a proper glass?

Fu*king ejjits :pac:
As you say you can go to the off license and get 2-3 Cans of whatever for the same price as the so called mobile-pulled-pint sh*t.

ArnoldJRimmer

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Fu*king ejjits :pac:
As you say you can go to the off license and get 2-3 Cans of whatever for the same price as the so called mobile-pulled-pint sh*t.

I can only speak for my own friends back in Ireland, but they have done this once or twice to support their local pubs at a difficult time financially. And it was a nice novelty during lockdown. That said, there are also of course people who only do it so they can make a 'gas' video

B.A._Baracus

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

I can only speak for my own friends back in Ireland, but they have done this once or twice to support their local pubs at a difficult time financially. And it was a nice novelty during lockdown. That said, there are also of course people who only do it so they can make a 'gas' video

Sadly you'll always get idiots doing the latest gimmick and posting it online. Sure we have a whole sub-culture of instagramers now.

But supporting your local pub? Nope.
It's a business and having a few beers is nothing more than a business transaction.
You support your family and those closest to you in this world.

Some local randomer could have spent thousands down his local over the years. However if he cannot pay next month's rent the local pub isn't going to support him.

Zebra3

Zebra3 wrote: »

I don't get this thing of getting a pint delivered to your house in a plastic glass.

Where's the thrill in this? A few likes on social media?

"Aren't I mad?"?



Why not just buy a beer in the shop and pour it into a proper glass?

Beer from a keg is nicer.

ArnoldJRimmer

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Sadly you'll always get idiots doing the latest gimmick and posting it online. Sure we have a whole sub-culture of instagramers now.

But supporting your local pub? Nope.
It's a business and having a few beers is nothing more than a business transaction.
You support your family and those closest to you in this world.

Some local randomer could have spent thousands down his local over the years. However if he cannot pay next month's rent the local pub isn't going to support him.

It is possible to both support your family and local businesses. A pub is a social outlet where many people enjoy meeting up with friends, and know the bar staff/ owner. You pay money to have your pints pulled in comfortable surroundings and have a bit of craic.

Its a bit bizarre to suggest that because the pub won't financially support you in tougher times (name a business that does?) that they should go out of business. If people want to show their support by buying a few pints, then thats their prerogative

Zebra3

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Beer from a keg is nicer.

In a plastic glass?

Zebra3

Zebra3 wrote: »

In a plastic glass?

No, not in a plastic cup. Most are doing them in glass though.

buried

I think the pubs are finished. Even if the thing is lifted and everything tries to go back to the way it was, the pubs are really going to be the ones dealing with "a new normal" that they can't actually deal with. Half of it is their own fault, the vintners in the past and up until now have point blank refused any sort of change that could have actual been beneficial to their business, their own lobby group was so intertwined with successive governments meant that they were so interconnected with these governments that they never thought they had to change. Never had to think outside the box, never had to think "what if". Too cosy, too set in their ways, too relaxed and now just like anything else that gets in that sort of mindset, they are about to be eaten alive. I hope they come back, don't like them myself but I've nothing against anyone that wants to get a living from a market that is surely there but they should have tried moved forward before this and not remain stagnant anyways.

B.A._Baracus

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

It is possible to both support your family and local businesses. A pub is a social outlet where many people enjoy meeting up with friends, and know the bar staff/ owner. You pay money to have your pints pulled in comfortable surroundings and have a bit of craic.

Its a bit bizarre to suggest that because the pub won't financially support you in tougher times (name a business that does?) that they should go out of business. If people want to show their support by buying a few pints, then thats their prerogative

It's a business transaction. The sole purpose for a pubs existence is to make money. What you described - atmosphere the craic etc - is a reason why you go to a pub. To get entertained or what not. But it is a business transaction. It's not free. You walk into a pub with 8 cans you got from Lidl see what they say :pac:


But the point I was making about supporting them is don't. It's a business :pac:
It's like Netflix. I purchase it each month cause I want to watch things. What they offer. I don't subscribe because "ah I wanna show Netflix my support" - the second I think there's nothing on it any more I will cancel.

Andrew00

All the aul lads in the pub at 11am

pinkyeye

It's easy to say there's no need for the pubs if you're younger with a partner or wide circle of friends and family.

What about the bachelor farmer who runs a small holding on his own and goes down the local every night just for two pints and a bit of company and chat with other farmers?

Friday night might be the big night out when they all get together to watch the Late Late, even if they're only slagging it.

The rituals are very important for older men's mental health, they don't have other outlets for this type of thing. I'd hate to see all the small locals close down.

ArnoldJRimmer

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

It's a business transaction. The sole purpose for a pubs existence is to make money. What you described - atmosphere the craic etc - is a reason why you go to a pub. To get entertained or what not. But it is a business transaction. It's not free. You walk into a pub with 8 cans you got from Lidl see what they say :pac:


But the point I was making about supporting them is don't. It's a business :pac:
It's like Netflix. I purchase it each month cause I want to watch things. What they offer. I don't subscribe because "ah I wanna show Netflix my support" - the second I think there's nothing on it any more I will cancel.

Ignoring the condescending tone of your first paragraph (businesses exist to make money? ya don't say), there is a massive difference between supporting small businesses in a locality, and one of the largest companies in the world in Netflix.

But we do seem to have a different outlook here. You're happy enough to get a few cans in Lidl which is grand, others like the social aspect of a few pints. If the pub has to close for a few months during Covid, and then can't afford to re-open, that social outlet is gone. Or replaced with some sh!thole like Wetherspoons. So if people decide to spend their own money supporting their own community, then I am fully behind this.

Beechwoodspark

I know a few of the hardened high stool merchants and I must say the restrictions are having a severe, severe impact on their mental health.

FixdePitchmark

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

I know a few of the hardened high stool merchants and I must say the restrictions are having a severe, severe impact on their mental health.

I'd say this is more the case. And what my first post was about.

I genuinely feel sorry for them - as it was genuinely their life. All these lads have a story , something that went wrong with them or their life. I've a natural curiosity about them.

Gretas Gonna Get Ya!

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I'd say this is more the case. And what my first post was about.

I genuinely feel sorry for them - as it was genuinely their life. All these lads have a story , something that went wrong with them or their life. I've a natural curiosity about them.

There is a fairly good chance that alcohol had a part to play in some of the things that went wrong in their lives...

Alcohol and the establishments that promote and sell it, destroy more lives in this country than any other addictive drug. (By country mile)

B.A._Baracus

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

Ignoring the condescending tone of your first paragraph (businesses exist to make money? ya don't say), there is a massive difference between supporting small businesses in a locality, and one of the largest companies in the world in Netflix.

But we do seem to have a different outlook here. You're happy enough to get a few cans in Lidl which is grand, others like the social aspect of a few pints. If the pub has to close for a few months during Covid, and then can't afford to re-open, that social outlet is gone. Or replaced with some sh!thole like Wetherspoons. So if people decide to spend their own money supporting their own community, then I am fully behind this.

Actually it wasn't condescending. If you chose to read it that way then it's on you.

But it does feel like we are having two different conversations now. I mentioned cans from Lidl as a reference to try and bring them into a pub and drink them and to be told where to go (IE, it's a business)

You took that as "I love having Lidl cans than going the pub" then based a retort around it - so you're taking me up wrong or you're twisting. Which one is it?

Anyways I expect you will be ringing up your local to try and gets pints delivered at some point. Because if you don't then you're talking sh*te :pac: all hot air. My stance is f*ck supporting and I'm currently seeing that through by doing that as we speak :pac:

Chicoso

Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »

.

Alcohol and the establishments that promote and sell it, destroy more lives in this country than any other addictive drug. (By country mile)

Just left supervalu

Gave them a good bollokking going out the door

Strumms

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Fu*king ejjits :pac:
As you say you can go to the off license and get 2-3 Cans of whatever for the same price as the so called mobile-pulled-pint sh*t.

You’d want to be fuçking soft in the head to pay some crowd to be delivering you your pints in this climate. The usual attention seekers no doubt. The ohhh look I can, cool, so I will, the whole story on Facebook...zzzzzzz brigade.

Cans, in the fridge, just get up and go grab one when you want. No interaction required with any fûcker, zero chance of transmission of a very serious disease.

major bill

Zebra3 wrote: »

I don't get this thing of getting a pint delivered to your house in a plastic glass.

Where's the thrill in this? A few likes on social media?

"Aren't I mad?"?



Why not just buy a beer in the shop and pour it into a proper glass?

Ordered a couple from a D12 establishment just to see what the fuss was about! Made me realize more that I don’t miss the pubs and you can easily recreate the pint from a can!!
Even the Guinness felt a bit meh ! Silly carry on

FixdePitchmark

major bill wrote: »

Ordered a couple from a D12 establishment just to see what the fuss was about! Made me realize more that I don’t miss the pubs and you can easily recreate the pint from a can!!
Even the Guinness felt a bit meh ! Silly carry on

Didn't fall for it - and anyone who did hasn't a clue about Guinness.

And then paying extra for it - clowns.

NIMAN

Read a piece today that said Irish pubs are going to be more like pubs on the continent from here onwards.

RIP the Irish pub.

FixdePitchmark

NIMAN wrote: »

Read a piece today that said Irish pubs are going to be more like pubs on the continent from here onwards.

RIP the Irish pub.

I think the talk of the downfall of the Irish pub - will be completely wide of the mark.

The great pubs that are left in Dublin - will never go.

Covid will be gone and we will be back to normal at some point.

NIMAN

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I think the talk of the downfall of the Irish pub - will be completely wide of the mark.

The great pubs that are left in Dublin - will never go.

Covid will be gone and we will be back to normal at some point.

I really hope you are right.
There is nothing on the continent to compare to a lively, jumping Irish pub.

I have seen first hand how much visitors to Ireland enjoy them, and if we were to turn into what is classed as a pub on the continent, it would be a sad day.