Irish pubs in crisis as one in eight have now closed down

I have to agree with George on this...I ran a bar in the west some years ago...in under a year 3 young customers (under 40) died in alcohol-related circumstances. This wasn't a big bar, either. I think the Irish average consumption is brought down by the large number who never take a drink at all...usually because they have seen the damage done in their families. It's certainly imo the most destructive drug in the country...having said all that, the ambience and general 'crack' in your average Irish bar is world-class, and most social drinkers can well handle a few pints. Hard to penalise the many, for the few that can't handle the stuff...

butlerreport: You are quite right about Irish alcoholism. It's endemic, across age groups, regions, and social class. Don't pay any heed to sirpeter--he sounds like just another Irish drunk.

butlerreport.Queot"Ireland is rotten with alcoholism"Unqueot.That is incorrect.Ireland is no worse that the average country for alcoholism.France has the most in the EU.While alcohol is the drug of choice of most Irish people.There are plenty countries with average alcoholism but also have addictions to substance's.Over eating is also a mental addiction and that kills more people each year then all the rest put together.Plenty addictions out there my friend that cause alot of trouble.

If the bars paid for buses to bring people to and from the bars they could stay open.

Great news. Pub owners think too highly of themselves. That's because they were able to finance politicians election campaigns. Ireland is rotten with alcoholism a point highlighted by that fall down drunk Taoiseach Cowen. Less is better - the money is better spent elsewhere. "Crisis' my ass.

Great news....as reported Fianna Fail leader made his final decisions in a pub for his failed agenda in a failed statelet of Ireland.Why would any right minded Irish person accept a bannana republic within a great country. Lets close all the pubs and get down to business...reunite our country return it to its glory days of the 11th century. Move upwards and onwards , re open the pubs and then we all can have a drink.

Well, as a visitor to Ireland many times in more rural areas - Offlay, Westmeath, Cavan - I think that the old culture of my father is finished. I think that the older people are the real victims here in that going to the local pub was the essence of the social life. I think I would miss that if I lived there and was older.

I was in Galway in May this year, and I had a hellova time trying to find a pub open during the day, I had to do my drinkin' and conversing during the day at the lodge where I stayed. On the weekends that place was packed.

Antonman, a 4 pk of Guinness Draught costs me 7.50 American, (Take out). while two pulled pints at the pub cost about $9. I've at times resorted to bringing it home. I definitely need a driver if I sit at a pub, or am unable to walk home.

I agree with RedBranch. Driving is how you get to the pub. His solution is not all that bad, or at least a good place to start from in a serious discussion.

In hard hit times shush as these, pubs need to stay open. At one time, pubs served as a place of business dealings, news and camaraderie. Lower the price of a pint and make more pubs walkable. One other thing, as one who performs in "Americanized Irish pubs", turn down the blasting sound system and and allow people to interact in conversation for a change.

In hard hit times shush as these, pubs need to stay open. At one time, pubs served as a place of business dealings, news and camaraderie. Lower the price of a pint and make more pubs walkable. One other thing, as one who performs in "Americanized Irish pubs", turn down the blasting sound system and and allow people to interact in conversation for a change.

Georgy Boy. The only part of you that has ever traveled "widely" is your ass.

antoman is correct, one at the pub is worth four at home. Here's one plan I read for rural pubs to survive. In the country you are allowed to drink as much as you want and drive home, however you must have your flashers on to alert other drivers, keep under 30mph and follow all the rules of the road. Failure to do so would result in all the drunk driving consequences... This approach will never be adopted, - its not pc for a start, but the pubs will continue to close and more of us, like anotman, will choose to curl up at home with a few half'uns, the telly and a slighty fatter wallet.

I think everyone is in agreement that blithering drunks that are a menace on the roads have to be eliminated, but in the US, and now it seems Ireland also, alleged drunk driving is being used to fill the financial coffers of towns and small cities. People are being stopped , then hand cuffed that have had two Bud lights after working all day. They face loss of license, possibly their job. The municipalities can realize upwards of $1800 per conviction. Recently cases of false breathalyser tests have been substituted in the case of individuals that were not drunk. the prohibitionists are always wailing about alcohol in their own weird little lives of church socials,baking contests, and sing alongs ! (of course they also produce an occasional ax murderer, who was "just a quiet man" These good people eliminated alcohol in the US for a few years, but did leave us with one lasting institution called the MAFIA