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Child Item

Ban children from Pubs ?

Andy From Sligo

I think all under 18's should be banned from pubs or any establishment that serves alcohol on the premises come to think of it, like restaurants etc if they sell drink

- what do reckon? - too severe or do you agree?

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blue note

Parents should be responsible and take them to pubs when suitable. To a proper food pub for a meal or maybe for a coke before going to a match or something. And the parents should act responsibly too - not lashing the pints into themselves. I don't think we need any further bans in pubs for this.

I was 17 when the ban of under 18s in pubs after 9 came in. The actual effect of this was that we would then drink far more in more dangerous locations. When we were 16 we'd have a table of 10 or 11 people with one or two getting served which meant that 3 or 4 people were drinking and no-one was drinking too heavily because the bar would kick us out if there were only 2 people with ID and they were ordering loads of drinks. So then when we turned 17 the new law came in and if a couple of people didn't have ID then we'd go knacker drinking instead of going to a pub. So one or two people would get a load of drink and everyone would get properly drunk. Obviously it would be in the dark and we'd be on the doneraile in Tramore (if you went over the barrier you were on a cliff edge) or the beach where you were on rocks in the dark - plenty of opportunity to slip and hit your head.

So while my gut tells me that 16 year olds shouldn't be in pubs, my experience as an underager tells me that it's better if they are.

Pat Mustard

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I dunno LOL - it could bomb as well .. if I go to bank and tell them I want money to open up a pub in town ... but not sell any alcohol in it will they laugh at me? ... or call the men in white coats?

I can imagine your bank manager alright. :pac:

"I've got another hare-brained scheme. Here I am with cap in hand."

*Sigh*

"I'm very busy. You know where the door is, Andy."

sbsquarepants

I was never really brought to pubs when I was a kid, never really brought my own kids to the pub when they were kids. Occasionally for a bite to eat maybe, but that would be it, no pints or hanging around for hours on end.
A pub is simply no place for kids, they get bored, they annoy other customers - it's a shítty thing to do all round, if you want to bring your kids somewhere - bring them to the park, let them be kids!

Irish Guitarist

As a child I hated how everything was an excuse for my family to go to the pub. For instance my confirmation. I was supposed to make a pledge not to drink until a certain age, then an hour later I'm looking at my father downing pints.

Sofiztikated

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

well I'm toying with the thought - just want to get others opinions.

Why not get it banned across the board so everyone knows where they stand?

If you want a family restaurant environment take your children to Mc D's or burger king ... if you want adult meal (where drink is served) go to a restaurant that sells alcohol? - I cannot see a problem .. is there one?

You do know that in a few countries, you can get beer in McDonalds?

eoinzy2000 wrote: »

You must drink in some pure dives Andy. Kids a always well asleep by the time that stuff happens. Most pubs have NO KIDS AFTER 9 policy anyway, except for family functions, which are an exception. By the sound of the holes you frequent, id say there are kids smokin joints and skullin jaegers goodo

The Law states that children must be removed from a place where alcohol is sold, except where a substantial meal is served.

It's more the attitude to parenting, and the attitude to alcohol that I'd have an issue with. The "Here, go do something while I cane back 12 pints of pishwater."

Shenshen

Winterlong wrote: »

I agree to a certain extent...but some of the best pubs we have in this country are those small wee 'old man' pubs. Normally these are not family pubs, dont serve food etc...but they are still great places. There will be fellas in there supping pints from opening time. These are not places for kids.

Both family friendly and old man pubs have their place in the market.

I agree that they do, and I'm not sure either would be the "problem" pubs with roaring drunks hanging on to the bar and fights breaking out, etc.
Also, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure how we could encourage, let alone force, pubs to become more family friendly. I just feel that it would be the way forward towards a more sensible and enjoyable attitude to drink around the country, and that banning kids from pubs is most certainly not the answer.

biko

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

where will we get our future children growing up and thinking drink is the norm and that you tie in alcohol with having a good time? ...

You don't have to refer to some hypothetical future kids.
Irish society have allowed kids in pubs for generations.
How has that worked out in your opinion?

Sam Kade

listermint wrote: »

Prohibition works.

Your method worked for decades of bad attitudes to alcohol in this country.

Sound idea, lets go through with it...............

How exactly do you compare banning children from pubs to prohibition?

Winterlong

Shenshen wrote: »

My hope would be that as more pubs are becoming family-friendly, there would be less of the second type around.

I agree to a certain extent...but some of the best pubs we have in this country are those small wee 'old man' pubs. Normally these are not family pubs, dont serve food etc...but they are still great places. There will be fellas in there supping pints from opening time. These are not places for kids.

Both family friendly and old man pubs have their place in the market.

Shenshen

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Making pubs child friendly is not just about crayons and paper on the table - its also about not having them look at big drunk lads roaring their heads off and swilling pints....

There are certain types of pub that are suitable for kids - the type where people go in, have lunch, leave.

There are certain types of pub that are not suitable for kids, the type where people go in, have lunch, and stay there drinking for 8 hours.

But the issue above is really not about the pubs.

My hope would be that as more pubs are becoming family-friendly, there would be less of the second type around.

Tombo2001

Shenshen wrote: »

Interesting thought. I would actually take the polar opposite view - not only should children be allowed in pubs and restaurants, pubs and restaurants should become more child-friendly. Have decent kid's meal options (not just small portions of deep-fried everything), provide some bits of entertainment (crayons and paper for indoors, a little playground next to the beer garden, for example), etc. Make it normal for families to go and enjoy time together outside their own four walls.

This notion that if you go to a pub, you have to return from it off your face is frankly not healthy, and turning pubs in particular into places that are not exclusively about booze would go a long way to address that.

Making pubs child friendly is not just about crayons and paper on the table - its also about not having them look at big drunk lads roaring their heads off and swilling pints....

There are certain types of pub that are suitable for kids - the type where people go in, have lunch, leave.

There are certain types of pub that are not suitable for kids, the type where people go in, have lunch, and stay there drinking for 8 hours.

But the issue above is really not about the pubs.

andekwarhola

Most places serving alchol prefer their daytime trade to be families rather than Sky Sports/Bookies pissheads.
Kids should be off any pub premises by early evening (7 or 8 PM) imo though.

Winterlong

I can think of a few better things/people to ban to be honest Andy.

Barry Badrinath

'Andy - Giving Sligo a bad name since 2013.'

I can hear the tshirts being printed right now!

Anyway, silly idea tbh. The Vintners are always complaining about lost revenue, this would damage the industry. Let alone the family and social aspect.

Stupid idea.

Shenshen

Interesting thought. I would actually take the polar opposite view - not only should children be allowed in pubs and restaurants, pubs and restaurants should become more child-friendly. Have decent kid's meal options (not just small portions of deep-fried everything), provide some bits of entertainment (crayons and paper for indoors, a little playground next to the beer garden, for example), etc. Make it normal for families to go and enjoy time together outside their own four walls.

This notion that if you go to a pub, you have to return from it off your face is frankly not healthy, and turning pubs in particular into places that are not exclusively about booze would go a long way to address that.

Samaris

Many people bring their children (who are often well-behaved, quiet and not running around like lunatics as well) to restaurants for special occasions or eating out. It would be just plain odd to ban them from restaurants because there's wine and beer on the premises. Besides, there are plenty of kids who don't really like McDonalds or Burger King and will prefer to have a small adult meal. And really, banning 14, 15, 16 year olds from restaurants out of fear of the alcohol biting them is ill-conceived.

The pub vs restaurant elements of it aren't really comparable, bar at lunchtime, and I don't see the point of banning kids and teenagers up to seventeen from having a publunch. Also, that is a right pain if you're travelling. "Sorry kids, I know you're all hungry, but the only places that serve food out here are pubs, we'll have to wait until we get to a large town in rural Connemara/Kerry/Donegal/actually, most of the country before we can stop." Just let them stop and have some food!

I think the current laws are fine.

[Deleted User]

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I'm pretty sure in most respects tourists dinrt come here just to go eat in our restaurants and that there is more to ireland than restaurants and pubs? .. If not, god help us ..

Oh I fully agree. But what you are saying is that for those who holiday with kids, they can't ever go into any pub or pretty much any restaurant except cafés and fast food restaurants. Or they have to arrange a babysitter during lunch time, and arrange a separate meal for the children.

I fully agree that children should not be exposed to fellows guzzling pints...but tbh I don't see a lot of that in licensed restaurants.

Not allowing families eat in hotel restaurants because hotels serve alcohol? Where do they send the kids?

CelticRambler

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

If you want a family restaurant environment take your children to Mc D's or burger king ... if you want adult meal (where drink is served) go to a restaurant that sells alcohol? - I cannot see a problem .. is there one?

Yeah - their summer holidays will be ruined when they realise McDs & BK on the continent serve beer, and children there grow up pretty normal. :P

JupiterKid wrote: »

Nothing worse than seeing pissed adults ...

Totally agree with you there. When the "screaming / crying/ bored little hooligans" start running around, that's when I go and hang out with the children.

'Round here (not part of Anglo-Saxon puritania), children and alcohol are allowed in the same room regardless of the hour or the day, and we don't have anything like the adult stupidity you get in Ireland. Nothing better than seeing children still up at one in the morning, having a great time just because they're having a great time, and not the least bit interested in downing pints of beer, cider or wine.

Andy From Sligo

Deleted User wrote: »

So kids pretty much banned from every restaurant except fast food joints. Or else restaurants forced to decide do they want to serve families and give up the wine licence? Oh and parents never being allowed to have a glass of wine with a meal once a child is present.

The title should really read "do we want to stop to stop all tourists, except those who want to get drunk at 2pm in a pub in silence, travelling here".

I'm pretty sure in most respects tourists dinrt come here just to go eat in our restaurants and that there is more to ireland than restaurants and pubs? .. If not, god help us!

It should be simple if you got young kids all go out to a burger place or ice cream parlour or somewhere or a cafe or somewhere like that. If you got kids but can leave them with a childminder or parent, then by all means go out to your fancy restaurant and drink your wine and relax in piece. If you haven't got the kids go out to a pub and relax with adult company around you (whatever time of day/night)

Pubs should not be a place for children to be in, they should not be subject to what goes on in a pub at any time. As far as I know children aren't allowed into betting shops (even if they are not betting)

I'm not saying this is what happens but say if the kids look at the adults drinking pints and shots in a pub (at any time of the day) and think " ooh that looks grown up, I want to do that" or say if someone orders them an alcoholic drink for them? - if you bar them by law from setting foot in there in the first place, then there is not a problem or no risks. On the plus side the adults can have a proper relaxing, or rowdy drink without the risk of screaming / crying/ bored little hooligans running around ..

[Deleted User]

So kids pretty much banned from every restaurant except fast food joints. Or else restaurants forced to decide do they want to serve families and give up the wine licence? Oh and parents never being allowed to have a glass of wine with a meal once a child is present.

The title should really read "do we want to stop to stop all tourists, except those who want to get drunk at 2pm in a pub in silence, travelling here".

gitzy16v

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

where will we get our future children growing up and thinking drink is the norm and that you tie in alcohol with having a good time? ...

I never mentioned "drink".....feck,arse,girls.

JupiterKid

It's fine for small children in daylight hours until about 6 p m. After that. It's adults only. A pub is really for adults only.

Nothing worse than seeing pissed adults and bored kids in a pub.

Baron Kurtz

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I think if the establishment serves food children should be allowed on the premises, if no food is served they should be banned. After 6pm they should be banned either way.

:eek:

Hotblack Desiato

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I think if the establishment serves food children should be allowed on the premises, if no food is served they should be banned. After 6pm they should be banned either way.

Great. No more holidaying in Ireland for us then! 6pm is too early for many kids to be finished their evening meal never mind their parents. Would we even be allowed into the hotel dining room? And then after that confined to barracks because we're parents?

Bad enough holidaying/taking a break with kids in Ireland as it is. Hotels and most restaurants are fine but there are lots of pubs which do nice food but are basically lunch options only due to the stupid rules here. Then after your meal there's nowhere to go so you have to go back to the hotel.

Ubbquittious

Who is going to pour my pints if the children are gone?

Andy From Sligo

eoinzy2000 wrote: »

Anyhoo Andy, I think you are finding peoples opinions pretty one-sided here, which should give a good indication of the general consensus. ....

yep your right, I asked the question , looks like I got the answer then. ah well its good to see what other people think about things, even if they dont agree - it was only a thought, i am not gonna press for it to be law LOL

Andy From Sligo

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

I just knew this was one of yours.

always have these weird ideas late at night .. when I should probably be tucked up in bed

Andy From Sligo

Thelomen Toblackai wrote: »

They (and their parents) should be banned if they aren't kept under control.

Nothing more annoying when you're having a few drinks or a meal than young lads running around the place off their heads on lucozade.

yep, I have been in that situation a couple of times, trying to have a relaxing meal and kids are running around straight into waiter/waitresses, nearly having hot food poured onto them - the staff or managers never seems to attempt to stop them. I suppose they are frightened of getting a mouthfull from their parents!

KERSPLAT!

I just knew this was one of yours.

Andy From Sligo

s4uv3 wrote: »

Why not give it a go yourself? An alcohol free pub, I can see that making a solid fortune...

I dunno LOL - it could bomb as well .. if I go to bank and tell them I want money to open up a pub in town ... but not sell any alcohol in it will they laugh at me? ... or call the men in white coats?