By Rob Harris
Dublin: Folklore in Ireland would have it that beer became popular because of its nutritional value, and it was much safer to drink than water.
Indeed, one of St Patrick’s closest friends was a monk called Mescan, said to also be his personal brewer. Legend has it that even St Brigid of Kildare, the patroness saint of Ireland, once turned bathwater into beer.
But those who persist with the stereotype of the drunken Irish might have pause for thought by the latest figures on the consumption of alcohol.
Ireland fans enjoy a pre-soccer match beverage outside a pub in Dublin this month.Credit: Getty
Booze consumption in Ireland is at its lowest level in more than 35 years and is falling year-on-year, with figures showing that annual alcohol consumption dropped below 10 litres per adult for the first time since 1987.
In 2023, the figure was 9.96 litres, a fall of 1.5 per cent from that in 2022. While the differences year-on-year are not significant, the trend most certainly is.
Anthony Foley, the associate professor emeritus of economics at Dublin City University who led the research, found Irish people are now drinking on average almost one-third – some 31 per cent – less alcoholic beverages than they did in 2001 – the year it peaked at 14.3 litres per person.
Foley, whose work was commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, says a greater consciousness about health is the predominant factor in decreased alcohol consumption along with the drink-driving laws and a less tolerant attitude to drunkenness. Demographics are also a factor.
“When those who came of age 30 years ago, there was a lot of what publicans called ‘proper drinkers’ around – the type of person who could go in and have 10 pints,” Foley said.
“As you grow older, you decrease your consumption and the younger generation are much more health-orientated.”
Alcohol consumption in Ireland soared during the heady years of the Celtic Tiger – the term used to describe the country’s rapid economic growth of the 1990s and early 2000s – when those born between 1965 and 1975 came of age at this time of increased prosperity and opportunity.
The Guinness Brewery in Dublin, where 2.5 million pints of stout are brewed daily, was founded by Arthur Guinness in 1759.Credit: Getty
There’s no doubt that the demon drink is synonymous with traditional Irish culture. Some of the island’s most adored figures were also revered drinkers, from footballer George Best to playwright Oscar Wilde to poet Brendan Behan, who famously once said: “I only drink on two occasions – when I am thirsty and when I’m not”.
From the ritual of “wetting the baby’s head” to raising a glass at a wake, booze follows the Irish from birth until death.
It drives the economy too, with beer giant Guinness remaining the most valuable Irish brand, valued at €2.4 billion ($3.9 billion), according to the latest data from Brand Finance. Baileys, the indulgent blend of aged Irish whiskey and Irish dairy cream, was ranked as the most solid brand and whiskey giant Jameson not far behind.
The reasons for this decline have been much debated and are multifaceted. The cost of living is often cited, with young people living at home longer and remaining under the control of their parents also drinking less.
That’s also coincided with a decline in the number of pubs throughout the Emerald Isle – 2054 fewer pubs today than there were in 2005. Ireland has slowly restricted alcohol advertising on television and on billboards. Booze is now separated from other products in shops and supermarkets and a minimum price unit has been brought in.
The market for non-alcoholic beer and wine has grown, and so too has drug use – from ketamine to cocaine – among people aged 18-35, typically the age group that once reported high levels of binge drinking.
Dr Melissa Kelly, a public health researcher at University College Cork, who gave up alcohol almost four years ago, founded the Sober Social Ireland community where she educates and hosts virtual and in-person events for anyone who is sober or “sober curious”.
“The biggest reason by far was my mental and physical health, which were desperately suffering as a direct result of my drinking,” she said. “Depression and anxiety for days after drinking, no hobbies outside of drinking, no self-care, no consistent exercise routine… all because of my relationship with alcohol.”
What started as a small group quickly amassed a larger following, leading Kelly to open the group up to all genders and ages.
“The sober community on Instagram is exponentially larger than it was when I quit drinking in 2020,” she says. “I think across many age groups, but especially those in their 20s, there’s more of a focus on health and wellness and how you prioritise that.”
The Health Research Board, Ireland’s primary health and social care research funding agency, found in April the number of teetotallers in the 15- to 24-year-old bracket went from 17 per cent in 2007 to 30 per cent in 2022. Teenagers are also drinking later in life. In 1998, 83 per cent of 15-year-olds had tasted alcohol, falling to just 31 per cent a decade on.
But the country is not alone in seeing consumption fall, though it is an outlier in terms of the extent of the fall. Far from being the booziest people in Europe as reputations might suggest, Irish consumption of alcohol is close to the EU norm of 9.8 litres and less than countries such as Portugal, France and Germany.
Dr Anne Kehoe, a clinical psychologist and a chartered member of the Psychological Society of Ireland, says booze is not the rite of passage that it used to be.
“When we were young, I didn’t know anybody who didn’t have that initiation into alcohol. It was a normal thing then. Now that’s not the case,” she told the Irish Times.
“The changes are more pronounced here in Ireland as we have more of an issue with alcohol. There is a huge shift already. Will it continue at the same rate? Immigration is a factor as some immigrants are coming from a different culture.”
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