Why is Ireland so fond of drink?

mr_fegelien · 07-08-2019 11:58AM #1

actually don't think that's bad as I'm a heavy drinker myself but I wonder, where does it come from? We're in the top 10 countries in the world.

Is it cultural or simply a lot of disposable income coupled with ****ty weather.

Boom_Bap · 07-08-2019 11:59AM

the weather

Midnight_EG · 07-08-2019 11:59AM

Like the Tinkers, it's in our culture sure

the beer revolu · 07-08-2019 12:00PM

The English.
The Catholic Church

kneemos · 07-08-2019 12:05PM

It's not. A quarter of us are tee totallers.
Most others have a few at the weekends.

rossie1977 · 07-08-2019 12:08PM

We are currently in 21st place worldwide per capita in alcohol consumption. Australia is ahead of us so clearly its not to do with weather

Deebles McBeebles · 07-08-2019 12:09PM

Ah we're not too bad really. I only drink to stave off the depression.

07-08-2019 12:24PM

Because drinking is great and us Irish know how to enjoy ourselves!

up for anything · 07-08-2019 12:26PM

Because everybody accepts people being disgustingly drunk in public without turning a hair. No one even blinks when the Craic scale is used to rate a night out. Blacking out and not being able to remember a thing from when you began pre-drinking to waking up covered in vomit in a place you don't recognise is number one on the scale. The best night ever! :rolleyes:

Gwynplaine · 07-08-2019 01:30PM

Sher what else der to do?

Arghus · 07-08-2019 01:34PM

rossie1977 wrote: »

We are currently in 21st place worldwide per capita in alcohol consumption. Australia is ahead of us so clearly its not to do with weather

Well, in Australia it's very hot: sure what else can you do in that weather but drink?

In Ireland it's very wet: sure what else can you do in that weather but drink?

Bigbagofcans · 07-08-2019 01:37PM

Boom_Bap wrote: »

the weather

In good weather we tend to drink more, no? Cans in the sun :cool:

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 07-08-2019 01:51PM

rossie1977 wrote: »

We are currently in 21st place worldwide per capita in alcohol consumption. Australia is ahead of us so clearly its not to do with weather

I’d be interested to know where we fall in the binge drinking table but that’s probably impossible to compile.

is_that_so · 07-08-2019 01:53PM

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I’d be interested to know where we fall in the binge drinking table but that’s probably impossible to compile.

Yeah the nature of the binge means that sometimes there would be no data!

harry Bailey esq · 07-08-2019 01:53PM

mr_fegelien wrote: »

The weather. Don't go blaming the drink, you make your own luck.

Ush1 · 07-08-2019 01:55PM

Immigrants, even when it was the bears I knew it was them.

Breener122 · 07-08-2019 02:01PM

Because all the other fun drugs are illegal

harry Bailey esq · 07-08-2019 02:05PM

mr_fegelien wrote: »

actually don't think that's bad as I'm a heavy drinker myself but I wonder, where does it come from? We're in the top 10 countries in the world.

Is it cultural or simply a lot of disposable income coupled with ****ty weather.

Not once did you mention that lovely, mellow little level of drunkenness that comes halfway through a 'session' when your wiping everyone off the pool table in clinical fashion, the pints are flying and everybody's in good form. There's a reason people like getting drunk, it's fun.

BeerWolf · 07-08-2019 02:08PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxvDCx-ILhk

the beer revolu · 07-08-2019 02:12PM

up for anything wrote: »

Because everybody accepts people being disgustingly drunk in public without turning a hair. No one even blinks when the Craic scale is used to rate a night out. Blacking out and not being able to remember a thing from when you began pre-drinking to waking up covered in vomit in a place you don't recognise is number one on the scale. The best night ever! :rolleyes:

This.
There is no shame in being fall around drunk - people think it's funny.
I love alcohol. I consume it pretty much daily but there are certain people that I know who I will avoid if they are drinking more than one or two.

I have a very close friend who I've known for years and I'm mad about, but I don't like seeing her fall over at parties, slur her words, be inappropriate, ect.
Basically, I don't like being around drunk people but for some reason being totally blathered is completely acceptable in Ireland.

SexBobomb · 07-08-2019 02:14PM

Because for the most part we love being sociable but we're very shy or repressed as a people (for the most part) therefore the drink oils the gears and gives everyone licence to spark up a conversation with a stranger or ask someone out or just make some more friends.

Mad_maxx · 07-08-2019 02:40PM

Our respect for alcoholics has declined significantly this past few decades.

When I was a kid in the eighties, local men with six kids and more who spent every waking hour on a high stool, were still viewed as decent respectable men in the community.

Perhaps that's more of a sign of the massive hypocrites we were than anything else?

mr_fegelien · 07-08-2019 02:48PM

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Our respect for alcoholics has declined significantly this past few decades.

When I was a kid in the eighties, local men with six kids and more who spent every waking hour on a high stool, were still viewed as decent respectable men in the community.

Perhaps that's more of a sign of the massive hypocrites we were than anything else?

I don't think alcoholics are stigmatized so long as they are "white collar" workers. I don't here people complaining about businessmen being addicted to alcohol.

But then again, drug stigma has gotten worse over the last 50 years. Doctors are now afraid of prescribing anti-anxiety sleeping tablets than they were when they first came out.

07-08-2019 03:01PM

The problems around alcohol are hugely exaggerated anyway. I had nine pints last night, on top of two glasses of wine I had with the dinner. Would do that four or five days a week, sometimes have a few more on the weekends. Not a bit of harm has it done me. Drinking 20 years now.

Dr. Bre · 07-08-2019 03:03PM

Cos it’s much more fun riding when locked

Thelonious Monk · 07-08-2019 03:07PM

Australians have the weather now but the white people there are of UK and Irish stock mostly so thats why they drink like us.

mr_fegelien · 07-08-2019 03:07PM

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

The problems around alcohol are hugely exaggerated anyway. I had nine pints last night, on top of two glasses of wine I had with the dinner. Would do that four or five days a week, sometimes have a few more on the weekends. Not a bit of harm has it done me. Drinking 20 years now.

presumably, you drink alone? being in public can amplify many of the negative effects of alcohol

Jimmy Bottlehead · 07-08-2019 03:09PM

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

The problems around alcohol are hugely exaggerated anyway. I had nine pints last night, on top of two glasses of wine I had with the dinner. Would do that four or five days a week, sometimes have a few more on the weekends. Not a bit of harm has it done me. Drinking 20 years now.

Having seen what long term heavy drinking does to people, I'd say your liver and looks tell a different story.

mr_fegelien · 07-08-2019 03:10PM

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Australians have the weather now but the white people there are of UK and Irish stock mostly so thats why they drink like us.

Thought Australia was experiencing the winter as it's in the southern hemisphere?

Feisar · 07-08-2019 03:11PM

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

The problems around alcohol are hugely exaggerated anyway. I had nine pints last night, on top of two glasses of wine I had with the dinner. Would do that four or five days a week, sometimes have a few more on the weekends. Not a bit of harm has it done me. Drinking 20 years now.

That's not going to do the long term health any good.

Greyfox · 07-08-2019 03:17PM

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Cos it’s much more fun riding when locked

Ah but have too much and the little man downstairs goes to sleep

Were fond of drink as its something at least 97% of people enjoy doing, pick any other activity and you'll have a far higher rate of people who would'nt be into that activity. its by a mile the most popular thing to do in Ireland. Alcohol is awesome.

Why is Ireland so fond of drink?

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