Cultural Journal 3 - Beer Beer Beer, Tiddly Beer Beer Beer

When I told people I was going to Ireland, some of the most common responses were suggestions on what, and how much of it, I should drink. After all, Americans love St. Patricks Day, when “everyone is Irish” (and thus drinks a lot, apparently). In my mind, I suppose I had visions of wild nights, crazy partying, and raucous singing in every pub on every night. This has, quite reasonably, not turned out to be the case. In fact, I was shocked by a number of elements of drinking culture here, beginning with the fact that a pint is so expensive – generally around €5 (over $6) for a Guinness. Even during the Celtic Tiger, I suspect that most people would be hard pressed to drink more than 2-3 on a given night. The size of a pint slows one down a bit versus a 12oz bottle, but it is still easy to find yourself ploughing through money in a hurry on drinks. My second surprise was how early things seem to wind down around Ireland. In Dublin, the buses stop running around 23:30, so anyone out drinking who doesn’t live in walking distance of city centre has to either leave before then, be okay to drive, or catch a cab, a far more expensive prospect (even worse combined with the expense of drinking in the first place). Of course, people still do it, but we tend to think of Ireland as a land of pubs crammed with revellers until the wee hours, pounding back pint after pint. The reality doesn’t match up; while a Super Bowl in the states might see individuals putting away a 6- or 12-pack of beer all to themselves, watching the final games of the world cup in pubs here consisted of 1-2 pints for the viewers, a far cry from what is expected. It’s been an adjustement for me –as a night person, I’m used to being out at odd hours, getting a beer at midnight, a burger at 1am or breakfast at 3. I’d half expected to be at Temple Bar with my classmates three nights a week, stumbling home at 2am and dragging my carcass to class in the mornings, but instead I often find myself comfortably home at 10pm, waiting for the sun to set so I can go to sleep. Not what I expected, but frankly I think we’re all better off.