Ireland's drinking culture

risteard7 · 04-03-2014 04:07PM #1

With paddys day just around the corner the talk on tv and radio shows has started on Ireland's drinking culture. I think it is a myth that we drink a lot, we drink no more than the majority of Eu countries.

Five pubs have closed in my local town in the last 3 years and the others only open at 6pm or just Fri,sat,sun.On weekdays there is nobody in the pubs. Outside of Dublin the pub trade is dead.

So where's all this drinking going on? ? And I think the figure for people drinking at home is exaggerated.

FTA69 · 04-03-2014 04:11PM

risteard7 wrote: »

With paddys day just around the corner the talk on tv and radio shows has started on Ireland's drinking culture. I think it is a myth that we drink a lot, we drink no more than the majority of Eu countries.

Five pubs have closed in my local town in the last 3 years and the others only open at 6pm or just Fri,sat,sun.On weekdays there is nobody in the pubs. Outside of Dublin the pub trade is dead.

So where's all this drinking going on? ? And I think the figure for people drinking at home is exaggerated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption

We're actually some of the biggest p*ssheads in the world.

spank_inferno · 04-03-2014 04:13PM

Ireland also has an above average amount of tea-totalers.

More alcohol is consumed by a smaller % of population compared to most countries.

Riskymove · 04-03-2014 04:15PM

I think the issue is that Paddy's day represents the real perceived issues with irish drinking culture - binge drinking, drinking to excess, etc.

marc96 · 04-03-2014 04:16PM

FTA69 wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption

We're actually some of the biggest p*ssheads in the world.

Nothing compared to saffers drinking.i don't think the Irish drink much to be honest,not in my experience of been here 12+ years and taking some irish mates to SA on holiday they can't keep up.def a myth

Karl Stein · 04-03-2014 04:16PM

We should be ashamed of ourselves.... 13 countries ahead of us.

Sir Arthur Daley · 04-03-2014 04:17PM

Charles Rocher wrote: »

We should be ashamed of ourselves.... 13 countries ahead of us.

They have the population over us.

Riskymove · 04-03-2014 04:17PM

Charles Rocher wrote: »

We should be ashamed of ourselves.... 13 countries ahead of us.

lot more vodka!! thus the amount of pure alcohol is higher

Riskymove · 04-03-2014 04:18PM

WikiHow wrote: »

They have the population over us.

it's per capita so that doesn't matter

drumswan · 04-03-2014 04:19PM

WikiHow wrote: »

They have the population over us.

Figures are per capita.

These neo-prohibitionists really get on my tits.

FTA69 · 04-03-2014 04:20PM

marc96 wrote: »

Nothing compared to saffers drinking.i don't think the Irish drink much to be honest,not in my experience of been here 12+ years and taking some irish mates to SA on holiday they can't keep up.def a myth

We drink almost twice as much alcohol in a year as they do in South Africa. There are very few people who drink as much as we do, if you brought a load of Italians out for a night and expected them to drink 12 pints of Guinness they'd be horrified. Drunkeness is an acceptable scenario in Ireland where it isn't in most other countries.

theteal · 04-03-2014 04:20PM

I have to laugh at Andorra's place on that list, the place is only populated by people on holiday to ski and then get langered in a hot-tub!

jester77 · 04-03-2014 04:20PM

Riskymove wrote: »

it's per capita so that doesn't matter

We need to drop the legal age to 15

The Backwards Man · 04-03-2014 04:21PM

If you sort it by recorded levels it puts us 4th.

I wonder do the experts factor in the cross border element also.

Holsten · 04-03-2014 04:21PM

risteard7 wrote: »

With paddys day just around the corner the talk on tv and radio shows has started on Ireland's drinking culture. I think it is a myth that we drink a lot, we drink no more than the majority of Eu countries.

Five pubs have closed in my local town in the last 3 years and the others only open at 6pm or just Fri,sat,sun.On weekdays there is nobody in the pubs. Outside of Dublin the pub trade is dead.

So where's all this drinking going on? ? And I think the figure for people drinking at home is exaggerated.

It's going on in homes all over the country 24/7. It really is not exaggerated. Have a walk around Dublin on a Friday/Saturday night and you'll see thousands of people all boozing it up like mad. I'd guess that at least over half would have been drinking before even setting foot in a pub or club.

We are a nation of piss heads, there is no escaping that.

munchkin_utd · 04-03-2014 04:23PM

Carnival is on at the moment in Cologne (and all that area like Dusseldorf/ Dortmund etc) and thats like a 5 day long open air paddies day, even with a massive parade yesterday. Half a million on the batter yesterday for that parade.
And rumours have it that theres plenty of alcohol fueled romantic action too, ahem.

So its not just in Ireland that folks go a little mental now and again.

marc96 · 04-03-2014 04:24PM

FTA69 wrote: »

We drink almost twice as much alcohol in a year as they do in South Africa. There are very few people who drink as much as we do, if you brought a load of Italians out for a night and expected them to drink 12 pints of Guinness they'd be horrified. Drunkeness is an acceptable scenario in Ireland where it isn't in most other countries.

Haha if you say so pal,I gues if wiki says it then it must be true.also more than half the country drinks cider......that's classed as a woman's drink:)

SEPT 23 1989 · 04-03-2014 04:25PM

We really need to be aiming for that No 1 position if we are serious about our drinking

Alf Veedersane · 04-03-2014 04:27PM

FTA69 wrote: »

if you brought a load of Italians out for a night and expected them to drink 12 pints of Guinness they'd be horrified.

So would I.

The state the jacks would be in the next day!

marc96 · 04-03-2014 04:28PM

The difference in Ireland to say SA is that Irish guys tend to go out at only start drinking at say 9pm and try and drink as much as possible in those few hours before everything shuts,back in sa u drink thru out the day whilst braaing or watching a game and only stop late into the night.im not saying its good or bad all I'm saying is Irish don't drink as much as they think they do.

Sir Arthur Daley · 04-03-2014 04:29PM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

So would I?

The state the jacks would be in the next day!

And couple that with a kebeb takeaway and cheese curry chips

elefant · 04-03-2014 04:29PM

marc96 wrote: »

The difference in Ireland to say SA is that Irish guys tend to go out at only start drinking at say 9pm and try and drink as much as possible in those few hours before everything shuts,back in sa u drink thru out the day whilst braaing or watching a game and only stop late into the night.im not saying its good or bad all I'm saying is Irish don't drink as much as they think they do.

South Africans are clearly hardcore as f**k. We're convinced.

drumswan · 04-03-2014 04:30PM

South Africans probably drink to forget they are South Africans

Temptamperu · 04-03-2014 04:30PM

Drinking is for mugs sure your only renting it. dead money indeed.

FTA69 · 04-03-2014 04:32PM

marc96 wrote: »

Haha if you say so pal,I gues if wiki says it then it must be true.also more than half the country drinks cider......that's classed as a woman's drink:)

http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/6003/4278

9 litres a year of pure alcohol a year in South Africa.

http://alcoholireland.ie/facts/how-much-do-we-drink/

12 litres a year in Ireland, also with the highest population of teetotal people which means those who do drink are lashing into it.

Having worked in the pub trade in various roles I've seen people in utterly cruel states. It's pretty acceptable to be off your tits in Ireland where it isn't in other countries.

minidazzler · 04-03-2014 04:32PM

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

So would I.

The state the jacks would be in the next day!

Your body gets used to stout and you don't get black runny sh1ts as much once you do get used to it. You gotta power through.

11.68 litres a year of pure alcohol would be roughly 9 pints a week each.... I'm averaging a bit over double that, as are most of the people I work with and my outside of work friends. I'm doing my bit, ARE YOU?

Alf Veedersane · 04-03-2014 04:33PM

minidazzler wrote: »

Your body gets used to stout and you don't get black runny sh1ts as much once you do get used to it. You gotta power through.

Pretty sure I won't be persevering with something I don't like until I get Stockholm Syndrome.

bodhrandude · 04-03-2014 04:34PM

spank_inferno wrote: »

Ireland also has an above average amount of tea-totalers.

More alcohol is consumed by a smaller % of population compared to most countries.

More like tea drinkers heh heh.

SEPT 23 1989 · 04-03-2014 04:34PM

drumswan wrote: »

South Africans probably drink to forget they are South Africans

or the fear of being mauled by a lion

BillyMitchel · 04-03-2014 04:35PM

Surprised the Koreans aren't up higher. They drink a million times more than us and drink with breakfast, dinner and tea. The bastards nearly killed me.

Russian (not Irish Ukrainian) and their vodka is something else too. Went out with a Russian chick before and I made a tit of myself. Straight vodka my eye.

We aren't that bad when it's constant drinking but when it comes to binge we're a disaster.

elefant · 04-03-2014 04:38PM

BillyMitchel wrote: »

Surprised the Koreans aren't up higher. They drink a million times more than us and drink with breakfast, dinner and tea. The bastards nearly killed me.

Russian (not Irish Ukrainian) and their vodka is something else too. Went out with a Russian chick before and I made a tit of myself. Straight vodka my eye.

We aren't that bad when it's constant drinking but when it comes to binge we're a disaster.

That wiki list does say that the South Koreans drink an average of 10 litres of spirits a year per capita though! :eek: :eek:

Ireland's drinking culture

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