It’s no secret that drinking is intrinsic to Irish culture. How we advertise ourselves as a nation only fuels a drunken Irish stereotype, with Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse, Irish Whiskey museum and Temple Bar — a known tourist trap for foreign pub-goers — being some of the most popular destinations for people visiting the island. It would appear  that there is something inherently Irish about the ritualistic voyage to the local pub. However, one must query if our noble quest for pints is a pilgrimage that we as a nation should continue to embark upon. 

Upon reaching out to my peers, I quickly discovered that our relationship with drinking begins at a young age. Between thirteen to fifteen years old was the majority consensus I received for when they began drinking.

“I was about 15 I’d say. I know some start drinking earlier, but as with many Irish youths, I think I really started drinking around/after the Junior Cert. I wasn’t going into pubs or anything, it would’ve been the classic cans in a field with your mates then into the teenage disco”, said Richie Rooney. Similarly, reflecting upon the age she started, ​Sarah O’Donohoe, who began drinking at 14, remarked how now “I’m older [it] feels insane, but I was a very curious teen”.

For students, a significant part of college life revolves around attending events  in spaces where consuming alcohol is the norm. Pav Fridays, Student Races and society organised club nights are all events where one is expected to partake in drinking, and to not do so can be seen as some radical gesture. “It’s hard to make friends if you don’t [drink] because every social event is centred around drinking”, my American friend Hannah Boles said when I mentioned I was writing an article about Ireland’s drinking culture. 

The darker underbelly of Ireland’s favourite pastime is something students seem to be painfully aware of: “There is definitely an over-normalisation of drinking as a hobby or a social pastime to partake in with your friends”, stated Trinity student Chloe McGing. She continued by saying that due to her involvement with sport she didn’t drink until 19 but noted “there is definitely a pressure on adults and young people when socialising or out with friends to provide a valid reason for not drinking, as if alcohol consumption is our default state as Irish people, and anyone who doesn’t want to partake in that must provide valid justification as to why?”.

Avery Simoneau also spoke of  “a normalisation of going for pints”, while Rooney remarked that for him, “‘Pint?’”, is a question he’ll ask and be asked multiple times a week. One student remarked, “I think there’s pros and cons to drinking because obviously if you’re on the session every week that’s not good but also if you’re having loads of pints everyday that’s also not good. I think if you drink responsibly it’s grand”. 

Heavy alcohol consumption, however, can often be a means of escapism for students grappling with the ups and downs that come with college life. In a way, it is ironic, as more often than not drinking can lead to heightened feelings of anxiety or ‘hangxiety’. It is also a well known fact that alcohol is used as a clutch by many in social situations and it is not uncommon to hear people proclaim that they ‘loosen up’ after a few swigs. The innate desire students possess to fit in among their peers means many will drink, often in excess, due to the internalised pressure they feel to conform and be a part of the homogeneous and dominant social group. “I used to rely on drinking to be more social when there was pressure to make friends and be social during first year because it made it so much easier to be social and fun. But now that I have a group of close friends I don’t feel I rely on it as much”, said Boles.

Drinkaware’s Annual Barometer for 2022 revealed that those participating in binge drinking — defined as consuming ‘6 standard drinks in one sitting’ — is on the rise, with 1 in 4 engaging with alcohol in this way. While you may be sitting there thinking you too are immune, usually maxing out at three or four pints, a standard drink measure of alcohol is half a pint. I know that I myself could easily nurse three pints over the course of a night out, which provoked a slightly uncomfortable feeling as I had never thought of how I currently engage with alcohol as excessive. 

How can we remedy this culture of excessive drinking? It’s clear that there is an absence of sober socialising alternatives, with many viewing the call for pints as an opportunity to catch up with friends, rather than an innate desire to consume an overpriced cider. As encapsulated by Aoibheann Enright, drinking is “a casual social thing but realistically we don’t need to be drinking as often as we do”. 

Speaking to a close friend of mine who is currently on Erasmus, she detailed how there is a clear difference between going for pints at home versus abroad. Sophie McAlpin said how in Spain it is “very normal to be out all day drinking, but at home in Ireland, it’s like you’d be out for a couple of hours and be hammered”. She went on to say that in Spain, alcohol is viewed as simply another drink as opposed to something you drink solely for the purpose of getting drunk. 

This sentiment rang true for me, especially when considering the ritualistic act of pre-drinking, a staple of Irish student culture. Pre-drinking or ‘prinking’ encourages fast and rapid consumption of alcohol in a short burst of time. This is done by many due to the extortionate price of drinks in pubs and clubs in Ireland. The logic is to arrive already inebriated to reduce the cost of the night. Participating in pre-drinking alone means many routinely engage in binge drinking as, realistically, nobody is measuring out their servings while getting ready in their friends room of a rented student accommodation. The act of prinking is a sacred custom for many young people, but maybe it’s time we start to reevaluate how we choose to consume alcohol. 

The myth that alcohol brightens one’s demeanour and makes them more palatable is a dangerous lie. Excessive alcohol consumption in social situations can lead to regretful outcomes, both for one’s mental and physical health. Reflecting on how you and your peers engage with alcohol can be an uncomfortable feeling. It is easy to normalise our drinking habits especially when those around us are parking in similar behaviours.  

“I’ve thought some of my friends might have a problem and, more importantly, I’ve thought I might have a problem”, said one of my friends. In his words, the combination of living alone and the new-found independence for students and young people leads to “a period of excessive partying”. He continued that he “blacked out a handful of times, was a bad friend, and my actions drove a wedge between me and some people I loved and still love to this day. I thought the world was collapsing in. I’m not the only one, I know a good few people who have faced similar difficulties, and still do. I’ve moved on. I’ve made new friends and reconnected with old ones. But I’m always mindful of how slippery the slope can be. I think the poor quality of mental health services in Ireland, as well as the housing crisis and all that jazz plays into it big time. We, the nation’s youth, are struggling”.

Where does this leave us? Is there truth in the ‘Irish Alcoholism Gene’ or does our fondness for pints really come from living on an island and having nothing else to do? Having the second highest rate of binge drinking in the world, losing out on the title to Austria, the people of Ireland have proven, statistically, the elements of truth behind the drunken Irish stereotype. From speaking to my friends, and engaging in some self-reflection, I believe the problem lies in people’s distorted view on alcohol consumption, alongside a lack of spaces which facilitate socialising without alcohol.

Ideally, alcohol should be consumed in moderation. However, it is clear that as a nation, we are struggling with that. Only by being honest with ourselves can we truly begin to unravel the complex relationship Ireland has with our ‘turas chuig an theach tábhairne’ (trip to the pub).