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why do Irish people drink so much?

lufties

So I went out last night to meet some friends of a friend, they were a group of Irish girls. It brought back memories of how I used to go out to get drunk when I lived in ireland. I felt so uncomfortable amongst the group, they were boring and not very mannerly. They were just interested in getting pished. I had a few myself and a few laughs.

Sometimes I think the drink is a cover up for opening up, one thing I noticed about this group of gals is that none of the appeared authentic and engaging. Its a shame but reminded me of how I've changed in recent times.

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lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

That doesn't seem related to drink though. You certainly do seem to think you're better than these women you were out with, so...

Well I got a coldish reception initially so it kinda set the tone..and yeah, these girls were uninteresting, unwelcoming.

Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

Well I got a coldish reception initially so it kinda set the tone..and yeah, these girls were uninteresting, unwelcoming.

But joking aside, that seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with drinking.

ThinkAboutIt

Because by and large they have nothing else to do, and spend their weekends getting so drunk so they can forget how bad their lives are Monday to Friday. What a way to live.

Mesrine65

Drinking in Ireland is not simply a convivial pastime, it is a ritualistic alternative to real life, a spiritual placebo, a fumble for eternity, a longing for heaven, a thirst for return to the embrace of the Almighty...

Contemporary Irish drinking patterns, particularly drinking regularly to intoxication, have their roots in history where alcohol often made the difference between survival & death.

This propensity has been carried down in the Irish cultural DNA as a sort of unspoken dispensation for us Irish to regard hard drinking as a justifiable consolation for 800 years of extreme poverty, shame, starvation & persecution suffered by our forebears under colonial rule, but which we ourselves have never endured...

Actually...no, we just like to get pissed

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

But joking aside, that seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with drinking.

It does in the context of what I'm talking about..this group seemed to lack socially and were boozing to camouflage it imo.

Realt Dearg Sec

ThinkAboutIt wrote: »

Because by and large they have nothing else to do, and spend their weekends getting so drunk so they can forget how bad their lives are Monday to Friday. What a way to live.

What, out of interest, do you do on the weekend? I really hope it's something that justifies that level of condescension.

darced

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Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

It does in the context of what I'm talking about..this group seemed to lack socially and were boozing to camouflage it imo.

So out of interest, why do you think they should be interested in your thoughts and experiences? Did you express any interest in theirs? It sounds like you decided in advance that they weren't interesting to you but you seem to expect that they should find you interesting?

EDIT: I really don't want to sound like I'm having a go here, but to be fair you started by more or less dismissing these people out of hand so I would be interested to know what exactly you brought to the table.

lufties

darced wrote: »

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Thats your perspective, im always up for a laugh but I just didn't click with these..telling me how they are flying copehagen for a work party and how big they're apartment is. Feck that, just have a normal conversation.

Venus In Furs

I don't know. Sometimes it is just wanting to have fun.
And the stuff about "catholic repression" (that thing gets done to death here, yet look at the bunch of sexually liberated threads - bit contradictory) and "masking" - it's kinda like people *like* finding all these poor character traits in (their fellow) Irish people.

I know alcohol is used for Dutch courage by a significant few for sure, but that's not just an Irish thing.

It's stupid to be getting wasted regularly to the point of blacking out for sure - most people grow out of that thankfully.

MarkAnthony

darced wrote: »

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Absolutely nothing wrong with this and probably bang on. However as you start to get older you want this less and less. I never wanted it every week-end but it seems to be the norm here.

You drift into your late twenties (in my experience) and you realise how much you enjoyed spending an evening drinking in moderation, having a nice meal ans chatting. You start to do that more and the mad nights out less. Obviously family/buying a house etc effects things too. You still have the odd mad night as change is as good as a rest, but you'll drift away for people you realise you don't really have much in common with - which didn't really matter when you did have something in common and that was getting **** faced.

This happens at different rates, and doesn't happen to everyone, social class will also play a major factor.

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

So out of interest, why do you think they should be interested in your thoughts and experiences? Did you express any interest in theirs? It sounds like you decided in advance that they weren't interesting to you but you seem to expect that they should find you interesting?

EDIT: I really don't want to sound like I'm having a go here, but to be fair you started by more or less dismissing these people out of hand so I would be interested to know what exactly you brought to the table.

Its body language, darting eyes..asking me questions but not listening or interested in the answers. I said to myself, why am I bothering. It was like they were only out to get pissed.

darced

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RobertKK

Grayson wrote: »

Because I don't drink tea. Thank you for drinking my share of the tea.

I wonder who the dozen or so non coffee drinkers who subsidise my habit are.

You are welcome, I do my best lol

MarkAnthony

Venus In Furs wrote: »

I don't know. Sometimes it is just wanting to have fun.
And the stuff about "catholic repression" (that thing gets done to death here, yet look at the bunch of sexually liberated threads - bit contradictory) and "masking" - it's kinda like people *like* finding all these poor character traits in (their fellow) Irish people.

I know alcohol is used for Dutch courage by a significant few for sure, but that's not just an Irish thing.

It's stupid to be getting wasted regularly to the point of blacking out for sure - most people grow out of that thankfully.

Be it the catholic indoctrination or not Irish culture is sexually repressed. It's the same in the UK although to a lesser extent. I'd wager the majority of any given person sexual partners are as a result of having a few. It goes beyond the Dutch courage needed to get over the fear of rejection and gets to the point where people end up regretting their casual sexual encounters rather than taking them for what they are, normal people doing normal (hopefully not too normal :pac:) things.

bee06

Sounds more like its a problem with the girls you were out with than the "Irish" problem with drink. If you don't like them, don't go out with them!

Realt Dearg Sec

lufties wrote: »

Its body language, darting eyes..asking me questions but not listening or interested in the answers. I said to myself, why am I bothering. It was like they were only out to get pissed.

Grand but that's just them. You posted a little while ago in another thread that you think Irish people are less sophisticated than Londoners. Fackin' Landoners innit? Fackin sophisticated innit? Gettin fackin lairy eh? You cahnts!

I hope you see the point I'm getting at here. When Irish people generalise that Irish people are "less sophisticated" (whatever on earth that might mean) they invariably mean "Irish people other than me". No offence, but what is so interesting about you, exactly, that they would want to talk to you about your thoughts and experiences?

lufties

darced wrote: »

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Its a confidence thing too..people who get blind drunk are usually not truly confident people. Which would you rather be around?

Venus In Furs

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Be it the catholic indoctrination or not Irish culture is sexually repressed. It's the same in the UK although to a lesser extent. I'd wager the majority of any given person sexual partners are as a result of having a few. It goes beyond the Dutch courage needed to get over the fear of rejection and gets to the point where people end up regretting their casual sexual encounters rather than taking them for what they are, normal people doing normal (hopefully not too normal :pac:) things.

Yeh we're not quite the French, but don't you think things are relaxing a bit in that department in Irish culture?
There's an ocean between today and ye olde magdalene days.

smurgen

lufties wrote: »

Its a confidence thing too..people who get blind drunk are usually not truly confident people. Which would you rather be around?

My friend drinks a lot and he lacks confidence and he's one of the funniest people ive ever met.I'd pick him over some confident bore any day.people who are too well adjusted are ****ing boring

lufties

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Grand but that's just them. You posted a little while ago in another thread that you think Irish people are less sophisticated than Londoners. Fackin' Landoners innit? Fackin sophisticated innit? Gettin fackin lairy eh? You cahnts!

I hope you see the point I'm getting at here. When Irish people generalise that Irish people are "less sophisticated" (whatever on earth that might mean) they invariably mean "Irish people other than me". No offence, but what is so interesting about you, exactly, that they would want to talk to you about your thoughts and experiences?

Im well travelled, succesful-ish..I take care of myself, im well spoken, friendly, genuine and confident. I find human behaviour very interesting. I'm not really friends with too many londoners but any experiences I've had were pleasant. My friends here are Irish and don't spend days propping up irish bars. Sophiscated I mean that conversations are interesting and progressive. In ireland its all about a small narrative, drink, gaa etc..I am not mr sophistication by any means but I'm trying to become more learned about things.

MarkAnthony

Venus In Furs wrote: »

Yeh we're not quite the French, but don't you think things are relaxing a bit in that department in Irish culture?
There's an ocean between today and ye olde magdalene days.

There is and there isn't IMHO. We've managed to move away from some of the old attitudes and practices (Thankfully!) but the underlying moral revolution is still there in the majority of people - again IMHO.

In the interest of full disclosure I'm British (English but lived my adult life in Scotland before moving here) and I'm Generation X. It's a mixed bag in my generation and I find people even a little younger than me (Generation Y) willing to be more accepting. I'm not just leveling that at Ireland, although Ireland seemed to revel in the shame aspect which led to more damaging effect, but the UK as well.

You can still see the evidence of sexual repression in Ireland when you start looking at the fringes. Swinging, bi-sexuals even homosexuals in Ireland would be greeted with much more circumspection that the urban areas of the UK. Suggest to someone in Ireland about open marriages and you'll be greeted with anything from wide eyed curiosity to downright hostility.

Call Me Jimmy

lufties wrote: »

It does in the context of what I'm talking about..this group seemed to lack socially and were boozing to camouflage it imo.

Well what would you do if you were lacking socially, possibly even boring? May as well drink. I doubt too many boring people become interesting over time without it.

lufties

smurgen wrote: »

My friend drinks a lot and he lacks confidence and he's one of the funniest people ive ever met.I'd pick him over some confident bore any day.people who are too well adjusted are ****ing boring

Can you not be confident, well adjusted and witty too?

MarkAnthony

lufties wrote: »

Im well travelled, succesful-ish..I take care of myself, im well spoken, friendly, genuine and confident. I find human behaviour very interesting. I'm not really friends with too many londoners but any experiences I've had were pleasant. My friends here are Irish and don't spend days propping up irish bars. Sophiscated I mean that conversations are interesting and progressive. In ireland its all about a small narrative, drink, gaa etc..I am not mr sophistication by any means but I'm trying to become more learned about things.

Not to be rude, but are you maybe just not hanging round with the right people. I mean that in the sense of right for you.

lufties

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Not to be rude, but are you maybe just not hanging round with the right people. I mean that in the sense of right for you.

Well I only met these people last night, and wont wont be again in the future.

MarkAnthony

lufties wrote: »

Well I only met these people last night, and wont wont be again in the future.

Do you mind me asking how old you are, you don't have to be specific just a range.

lufties

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how old you are, you don't have to be specific just a range.

Why?

MarkAnthony

Sorry to expand on that and something I've said above.

Although I find Generation Y to be less sexually repressed, they are oddly conformist. (Obviously making sweeping generalisations here) That's exacerbated in Ireland I think because of the culture.

A result of much more information on how other people live - oddly enough - IMHO. (Internet, more TV etc). Much less social unrest and (possibly resulting) an almost complete lack of counter culture.

MarkAnthony

lufties wrote: »

Why?

See above