Why is Ireland so fond of drink?

Dick phelan · 08-08-2019 05:37PM

Honestly because in a lot of small rural areas theirs nothing else to do besides maybe play some GAA. Have a friend lives in the arse end of Leitrim, the nearest town to him has a shop etc but 2 pubs. Nothing else to do close by. Also Irish people are actually quite shy, the drink helps with the confidence.

Paddy Cow · 08-08-2019 06:12PM

Because everything is centred around drink - from christenings etc upwards.

08-08-2019 07:27PM

Pub crawl before we learn to walk?

tipptom · 08-08-2019 08:23PM

harry Bailey esq wrote: »

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.

I know that stage and have often thought if someone could invent something where you could get to that stage but not beyond it then they would be very wealthy and I wonder how it would change things,could it even encourage people to drink that don't drink?

ILoveYourVibes · 08-08-2019 08:24PM

Its genetic.

Its a genetic higher tolerance.

Alcohol consumption is lower in some countries that have genes that makes alcohol unpleasant.

08-08-2019 09:22PM

riclad wrote: »

A lot of pubs closed down, theres new cafe,s , coffee shops opening
in dublin every month.
We have more strict drink driving laws .
i think alot of young people go to cafes, more often than they go for a pub.
i don,t see anything fun about getting drunk.
if you want to get drunk buy some cans and stay at home.
Drink is cheap if you buy it in a supermarket .
I don,t see any more new pubs opening in dublin .

Getting drunk is great fun, brilliant craic, that’s the unfortunate reality.
It’s true that being drunk isn’t fun or being hungover isn’t either, but the getting drunk is fantastic. No point arguing otherwise, alcohol is the most popular drug in the world because getting drunk is great craic.

letsgo2018 · 08-08-2019 09:25PM

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Getting drunk is great fun, brilliant craic, that’s the unfortunate reality.
It’s true that being drunk isn’t fun or being hungover isn’t either, but the getting drunk is fantastic. No point arguing otherwise, alcohol is the most popular drug in the world because getting drunk is great craic.

Its the most popular drug in the world because of

A. Its legal

And

B. The marketing that goes into selling the stuff

odyssey06 · 08-08-2019 09:30PM

letsgo2018 wrote: »

Its the most popular drug in the world because of

A. Its legal

And

B. The marketing that goes into selling the stuff

It was and is the most popular drug even where and when it was illegal. Prohibition US or Pakistan today.
It was the most popular drug long before marketing was invented.
The workers on the Egyptian pyramids had daily ration of beer.
If you drank the water in medieval European cities you got cholera. But not from ale or wine made with that water.

GMSA · 09-08-2019 03:29PM

About 2 yrs ago an individual and his girlfriend were both drinking in a pub. Got up and got into a car and began the journey home. Encountered a squad car on the way. Driver panicked and floored it. Crashed soon after. Both hospitalised. Girl recovers after a few days but yer man is paralysed.
Now we have a charity case with Gofundme page and various events held to raise money for him and sob stories about his life ruined. No mention of the finer details though.
Tough sh1t lad. Yer own bloody fault. Count yourself lucky you didn't kill your girlfriend.

debok · 09-08-2019 04:37PM

GMSA wrote: »

About 2 yrs ago an individual and his girlfriend were both drinking in a pub. Got up and got into a car and began the journey home. Encountered a squad car on the way. Driver panicked and floored it. Crashed soon after. Both hospitalised. Girl recovers after a few days but yer man is paralysed.
Now we have a charity case with Gofundme page and various events held to raise money for him and sob stories about his life ruined. No mention of the finer details though.
Tough sh1t lad. Yer own bloody fault. Count yourself lucky you didn't kill your girlfriend.

I agree with you but should he be now just left to die because he made that mistake? Maybe the go fund page is because he will never be able to earn a living again.

Ragnar Lothbrok · 09-08-2019 05:54PM

debok wrote: »

I agree with you but should he be now just left to die because he made that mistake? Maybe the go fund page is because he will never be able to earn a living again.

I'd generally have no sympathy with anyone who drinks and drives, but in this case the only serious injury was to himself. I certainly wouldn't wish permanent paralysis on him.

Graces7 · 10-08-2019 02:34PM

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Doctors in Ireland fret about prescribing anything stronger than paracetamol

Indeed yes; google codeine USA though. I get my codeine though now thankfully. makes life bearable.

It is addiction they fear and the benzos are appalling to get off. Took me a year to get off wrongly prescribed Valium and never ever again.

shamrock55 · 10-08-2019 02:36PM

There's **** all else to do

Graces7 · 10-08-2019 02:37PM

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Getting drunk is great fun, brilliant craic, that’s the unfortunate reality.
It’s true that being drunk isn’t fun or being hungover isn’t either, but the getting drunk is fantastic. No point arguing otherwise, alcohol is the most popular drug in the world because getting drunk is great craic.

disagree totally re the fun. terrible sensation. will never ever drink .

Probably Ireland loves drink as they made it from potatoes.. cheap.

Graces7 · 10-08-2019 02:39PM

GMSA wrote: »

About 2 yrs ago an individual and his girlfriend were both drinking in a pub. Got up and got into a car and began the journey home. Encountered a squad car on the way. Driver panicked and floored it. Crashed soon after. Both hospitalised. Girl recovers after a few days but yer man is paralysed.
Now we have a charity case with Gofundme page and various events held to raise money for him and sob stories about his life ruined. No mention of the finer details though.
Tough sh1t lad. Yer own bloody fault. Count yourself lucky you didn't kill your girlfriend.

Now if we all got what we deserved?

Man Vs ManUre · 10-08-2019 02:41PM

Because it’s so cheap in the supermarkets!! There is even a specific thread on here about the cheap deals that are going.

wakka12 · 10-08-2019 02:42PM

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.

Your health would undoubtedly be better if you didnt drink that much, regardless of whether youve noticed any ill effects yet

shamrock55 · 10-08-2019 02:42PM

Graces7 wrote: »

disagree totally re the fun. terrible sensation. will never ever drink .

Probably Ireland loves drink as they made it from potatoes.. cheap.

Nothing fun about getting drunk at all its very overrated, if you could walk into a pub and purchase pill, joints, or lines of whatever you fancy to consume like you do alcohol nobody would ever drink

wakka12 · 10-08-2019 02:44PM

GMSA wrote: »

About 2 yrs ago an individual and his girlfriend were both drinking in a pub. Got up and got into a car and began the journey home. Encountered a squad car on the way. Driver panicked and floored it. Crashed soon after. Both hospitalised. Girl recovers after a few days but yer man is paralysed.
Now we have a charity case with Gofundme page and various events held to raise money for him and sob stories about his life ruined. No mention of the finer details though.
Tough sh1t lad. Yer own bloody fault. Count yourself lucky you didn't kill your girlfriend.

Thats quite cold. He made a mistake and paid dearly for it, nobody is perfect, I feel bad for him

the beer revolu · 10-08-2019 04:21PM

Graces7 wrote: »

Probably Ireland loves drink as they made it from potatoes.. cheap.

There is no evidence that alcohol was ever made from potatoes in Ireland.

The notion that poitín was made from potatoes is pure myth.

odyssey06 · 10-08-2019 04:29PM

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Because it’s so cheap in the supermarkets!! There is even a specific thread on here about the cheap deals that are going.

Then we must have almost the least love for drink of any EU country as we have almost the highest prices... have you ever checked out the alcohol aisle in a supermarket in france, germany, spain, italy or latvia?

JohnnyFlash · 10-08-2019 04:30PM

shamrock55 wrote: »

Nothing fun about getting drunk at all its very overrated, if you could walk into a pub and purchase pill, joints, or lines of whatever you fancy to consume like you do alcohol nobody would ever drink

I’d probably order some of each tbh.

mr_fegelien · 10-08-2019 04:35PM

wakka12 wrote: »

Your health would undoubtedly be better if you didnt drink that much, regardless of whether youve noticed any ill effects yet

What's the point in good health if you feel like ****? I saw an article of a woman who lived till 102 and tried to abstain from alcohol, cigarettes, etc.. when younger while watching her friends indulge in their vices. They obviously didn't live as long as her but she regretted it on her deathbed saying her life was pretty boring and ****.

mr_fegelien · 10-08-2019 04:38PM

shamrock55 wrote: »

Nothing fun about getting drunk at all its very overrated, if you could walk into a pub and purchase pill, joints, or lines of whatever you fancy to consume like you do alcohol nobody would ever drink

You can already go into a pharmacy and get OTC codeine as well as dextromethorphan in Robitussin.

In my country, Tanzania, you can get benzos otc also.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 10-08-2019 04:44PM

the beer revolu wrote: »

There is no evidence that alcohol was ever made from potatoes in Ireland.

The notion that poitín was made from potatoes is pure myth.

Traditionally poitín was made with malted barley, just like malt whiskey. In more recent years some added shredded potato but it's the exception rather than the rule and poorer quality. The potato angle is another paddy whackery image of Ireland beloved of foreigners.

The Irish drink for the same reasons other nations do. Why we seem to have a propensity towards drunkenness or binge drinking has many roots some genetic and others environmental or societal. Generational acceptance of alcohol as a prime constituent of social gatherings plays a big part. Alcohol sales, in past decades, were inversely related to economic growth.

wakka12 · 10-08-2019 04:55PM

mr_fegelien wrote: »

What's the point in good health if you feel like ****? I saw an article of a woman who lived till 102 and tried to abstain from alcohol, cigarettes, etc.. when younger while watching her friends indulge in their vices. They obviously didn't live as long as her but she regretted it on her deathbed saying her life was pretty boring and ****.

Well I agree with your first point but dont see why you have to lead an unhealthy life to have an enjoyable one. I drink plenty of alcohol but a rake of pints and few glasses of wine every few nights a week is definitely teetering more along the lines of potentially badly damaging health than a bit of indulgement for enjoyment of life

10-08-2019 05:09PM

wakka12 wrote: »

Your health would undoubtedly be better if you didnt drink that much, regardless of whether youve noticed any ill effects yet

Yeah bit would life be as enjoyable?

As the great John Daly said when asked what he thought of the new fitness bug that was catching on in golf: “I can run and get sick or drink beer and get sick....I know which one I prefer” (or something to that effect I can’t remember the quote exactly).

I’m in full agreement, life would be a lot less craic without drink.

Also the an awful lot of the people I see sick or having health problems are the ones who didn’t drink much/at all and lived very sedate lives. Might as well enjoy life you could do everything right and still end up with all sorts.

shamrock55 wrote: »

Nothing fun about getting drunk at all its very overrated, if you could walk into a pub and purchase pill, joints, or lines of whatever you fancy to consume like you do alcohol nobody would ever drink

Nonsense, drink is by far and away the best way to enjoy yourself. I wouldn’t touch drugs, dangerous b*stards or things they are.

wakka12 · 10-08-2019 05:23PM

Koda Low Ibex wrote: »

Yeah bit would life be as enjoyable?

As the great John Daly said when asked what he thought of the new fitness bug that was catching on in golf: “I can run and get sick or drink beer and get sick....I know which one I prefer” (or something to that effect I can’t remember the quote exactly).

I’m in full agreement, life would be a lot less craic without drink.

Also the an awful lot of the people I see sick or having health problems are the ones who didn’t drink much/at all and lived very sedate lives. Might as well enjoy life you could do everything right and still end up with all sorts.

Nonsense, drink is by far and away the best way to enjoy yourself. I wouldn’t touch drugs, dangerous b*stards or things they are.

I dont understand this mentality though. Its almost certain that if those non drinkers youre referring to had drank more alcohol throughout their lives its far more likely theyd be even sicker and unhealthier than they are right now, not less. I drink alcohol because of the profoundly positive effects it has on my social life and mental well being. But Im under no illusions that its anything other than toxic for my health. People who drink a lot of alcohol die much earlier than people who dont, the more alcohol you drink beyond the low risk guidelines, the more chance of early death, nobody is saying everyone who drinks some alcohol will die early or that people who dont drink will live forever .

Dont base your opinions off of analogies!
https://time.com/5376552/how-much-alcohol-to-drink-study/

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 10-08-2019 05:24PM

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.

Based on this anecdote, you think excessive alcohol consumption doesn’t increase risk of health problems?

Everyone knows that person who drank heavily and lived until 90 and the health freak who dropped dead at 50. You have to look at things on a population level to ascertain risk.

dublinman1990 · 10-08-2019 09:14PM

I don't know if Alcohol is related in this incident but there was 2 ambulances parked outside my local in Dublin earlier this evening. I would go on to say that when Alcohol is really popular in this country; it can promote people to be irresponsible when drinking when trying to deal with disputes which then causes violence when in open social situations. That is the part that I'm overwhelmingly afraid of when I see people drink alcohol.

Why is Ireland so fond of drink?

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