Conference tallis::celt

        10 pints a week? Some of my old Irish drinking buddies would put
        that away in a convivial evening and then do it again the next
        night, and ...
        
        Andy
        

    
    
    well I was being conservative and allow some "factoring" of the days
    when they may not drink .... ie the days with lousy hangovers !
    
    

  What's the point of this note, other than to feed false stereotypes?
                      Mark

  >>What's the point of this note, other than to feed false stereotypes?
    
    My gawd!!!  Your sphincter could crush a bumper hitch.

    re .3 (Holohan)
    
Hmm, I guess I'm surprised by your response. I would take it that how
one reads something depends on their view of the world and how narrow
or broad that is and indeed their own self esteem/confidence.

the note was purely to see if my estimate was a reasonable.

It is a well known fact that the Irish are NOT in the top 3  nations for
alcohol consumption per capita; I think last years figures show something
like Germany & England & Australia for beer and France and Italy for wine. 
I don't even think that Ireland was in the Top 5 countries.

The figures I mentioned 10 pints per week = "20 units" to use a USA term. That
amount falls within the European guideline for health benefits - ie 3 units per
day and just outside the US guidelines of 2 units per day, which is in fact
considered conservative.

So if there is anything in my note that stereotypes something, other than
your narrow view it beats me.

re .3

So, Mark, it's all right to support killing people but wrong to ask how much 
alcohol the Irish consume?

Weird.

//alan

    I think this note has set a record for ::CELT....in 5 notes it has gone
    from discussing a few pints to the troubles, remarkable. Take it
    somewhere else, please. There are only about 300 other topics to
    discuss it in....
    
    Ray....

Fair point - my apologies for the rathole.

//alan

    .3
    
    It's YOU that mentioned the word stereotype Mark...
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    ....no one else.
    
    
    
    CHARLEY

What Mark is worried about is that the hard working
hard playing (drinking) image of the ever working,
ever playing (drinking), never shirking, convivial,
come-rain-come-shine, always grafting Irishman is
being made to look a bit of a pansy becuase he doesn't
drink his full EU safe quota of units a week.










Simon




:-))))))

    
    Well I had a german doc tell me it was better to drink 3 beers a day
    than none at all....ie its good for you....so what can one do..-) -)
    drink 6 and be twice as healthy...
    
    
    Wouldn't say we are the top..though you wouldn't think that these
    nights here in Dublin..One thing I think we DONT do as much as our 
    European neighbours is drink at home...Then in bavaria its treated with 
    Respect..ie its called a "Food"...I recall a mate of ours hospitalised 
    over there..and instead of sleeping pills he was given a couple of beers a 
    night to help him sleep...
    
    yes indeed.. a pure god honest Civilised society!!
    
             rgs,
    
    Mick
    
    

    Gerry,
    
    Somewhere in the dim and distant past I saw these figures. The seem
    about right. However it must be remembered that close on 50% of the
    Irish population do NOT drink so the rest need to drink twice as much
    to keep up the average.
    
    Also most drinking as said before is done in pubs so it is more
    noticable. 
    
    MBr

    
    RE: .5
    
    Hmmm...I just saw something on the US National News this week that said 
    per capita consumption of alcohol was highest in Russia.  This was part
    of a story dealing with the Russian government taking back control of
    the alcohol industry there.
    
    They also had a scary statistic that I can't exactly remember. 
    Something like 1 out of 20 Russian men are alcoholics.  :(
    
    /jen

    
    Actually I think the Russians have the highest "hard stuff"
    consumption, follwed by one of the Nordic countries, but I'm not sure
    how that translates out into the overall figures.
    
    I suspect that 10 pints of vodka per week  would take its toll.

    Germany tops world drinking league

    BERLIN (Reuter) - Germans outdrank the rest of the world last year,
    with the average citizen consuming 139.6 litres of beer, researchers
    said.

    Germans drank the equal of 11.4 litres of pure alcohol in 1994, the
    German Addiction Centre said.

    They cut back their pure alchohol consumption by 0.1 litres in 1994 but
    still beat heavyweights France and Australia.

    As were discussing the festive spirit....Ireland drinks the most cups
    of tea per person in the world, England next and then China.
    
    Shaun$trivia_R_us

    
    and Ireland also consumes the most Kelloggs Cornflakes per capitia in
    the world.                               

    Would that mean that Ireland consumes the most milk per capitia ???
    
    Shaun

    
    Nope, they use beer in the Cornflakes 
    
    [sorry couldn't resist the stereotyping :=) ]

    I know a German guy in Donegal who feeds cornflakes to his organic
    cows. could this be distorting the statistics?
    Kevin

    Well Kevin...it depends on how many cows he has.
    
    Shaun.

Highest per capita milk consumption: does this also mean we've got the
highest per capita number of cows in the world? 

So it seems - from previous notes - that it is unhealthy not to drink.
I'll remember that the next time I pass a drunk who's just driven into
a wall, or who's killed someone etc. 

As for Russia having the high consumption of alcohol in the world, can
you blame them?  Have you even been there?  I have and it's not a
place I'll be hurrying back to.

BTW: Ireland has one of the highest rates of total abstention from
alcohol in the world. 

                          James.

    
    >highest per capita number of cows in the world?
    
    We must have the highest capita bales of hay to feed them?
    
    >So it seems - from previous notes - that it is unhealthy not to drink.
    > I'll remember that the next time I pass a drunk who's just driven into
    > a wall, or who's killed someone etc.
    
    yes..a valid and neccessary point to make...We also have a very high
    rate of deaths on the road due to drinking and driving...So busses
    and taxis are the order of day.
    
    I hear we have the highest number of taxis per capita.......
    
    
    

    
    re -1
    
    No, its unhealthy and dangerous to get drunk. Its stupid and immoral to
    drink and drive.
    
    However, it is healthy to have 2 or max 3 drinks (units) per day.
    
    

    -1
    
    Absolutely, conclusive proof is the fact that I had eighteen pints of
    lager last night and feel like crap today.
    
    See, it is unhealthy.
    
    
    CHARLEY

>    yes..a valid and neccessary point to make...We also have a very high
>    rate of deaths on the road due to drinking and driving...So busses
>    and taxis are the order of day.


While agreeing with the sentiment No drinking and driving it should be pointed 
out that drink is not the greatest killer on Irish roads. When pressed the 
NSAI will not even admit to it being the second largest killer. The main 
cause of death on Irish roads is speed (and I do not mean the drug). 
This is followed I understand by dangerous driving.
    
MBr

    re .24
    
    It's unhealthy to get drunk, but it's healthy to drink 
    2 units a day. Damn! I get drunk on one pint of shandy. 
    Is that healthy or unhealthy?
                    

    Well its healthy for your pocket but its probably unhealthy that all
    your mates'll think you're a woossss!
    
    Shaun.

    
    Pint a Shandy ... jeez its been years since I heard that term.
    
    I doubt you get drunk on that; but if you do, I'd vote unhealthy, as it
    possible you have  a non-metabolizing liver, or un-synched pin the
    laughing shaft.
    
    Have it x-ray'd.

    Isn't nearly all the beer in the You Est-ce, 
    and nearly all the lager in the Ewe Quaie, shandy? :-)
    
    That's why Charley can get through 18 pints without a boke.
     

    
    Actually except for Sam Adams, I nearly always drink imported stuff,
    Belgium beers such as Duvel, Chimay and La Chouffe etc - powerful stuff
    and the occasional Guinness and Youngs porter.
    
    Other than that; the beer is shandy, but then what else would you want
    with Burgers on the barbie ?
    

    18 pints of lager.
    
    
    CHARLEY

    Charley, I do believe you are boasting again...

    Coady,
    
    Have you tried Gueze (Belgian Beer)....I find it a bit sweet but if you
    stick a Bushmills in it.....its luuuuvvvvly!
    
    Shaun@aa

    No, I'm not boasting, I just lost count after 1� and took a guess $^}.
                                                                         
    
    CHARLEY

    
    Gueze; is that a Lambaic (spell), which normally comes in the "sweet"
    flavours, such as Rasberry, Strawberry etc ?.
    
    If so, I have tried it, but didn't like it.
    
    Now as much as I love Belgium beer, I would never insult a Bushmills by
    mixing it with anything  (water or ice); let alone dunkin it in a beer.
    
    Gives a whole new meaning to a Ball of Malt and a Chaser. 

What a terrible thing to do to a Bush (especially if it's a Black Bush).

Dave

    Yes, it is effectively a lambic and it does come in different flavours.
    However, 'Geuze' natural is basicly lambic but without the gurly
    flavours.....I only add Bushmills normal whisky (I wouldn't dare ruin a
    Bushmills 10 year Malt with such a barbarian act!!)
    
    Shaun.

IRISH PROBLEMS 

Sir, - The Garda Commissioner, Mr P. J. Culligan (December 1st) 
believes ``that most problems in Ireland could be traced back to 
some form of alcohol.'' This startling but well-intentioned comment 
puts a whole new slant on things and explains many of the 
difficulties that beset the country. 

Obviously Dermot McMurrough was half-cut when he sent out 
wedding invitations to the Normans; Dev was plastered when he 
agreed to partition and Jack Lynch was three sheets in the wind 
when he gave the EEC Treaty of Accession the green light. 

Indeed, if Senator ``Die Hard'' Hanafin shares Mr Culligan's 
belief then half the voting population of Ireland must have been 
pissed as newts on the day of the divorce referendum.
 
- Yours, etc., 
EAMON SWEENEY, 
South Hill, Dartry, Dublin 6.

    I can't believe that 6 year olds in Ireland use the word "pissed"
    
    
    CHARLEY