S
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o you enjoy a few bottles of
an evening....... every evening. What’s the problem?! Our Culture & society
writer Emma Martin takes a look at
modern day Ireland’s relationship with alcohol........
When I was a child, there was
a particular ‘eau de parfum’ I really didn’t care for. It was a very strong
bitter kind of smell and I couldn’t figure out why certain people wore it, it
was horrible! As I was quick at noticing things but never drawing the right
conclusions (I was amazed for years at how my dad and Santa Claus had the same
handwriting), it was years later that I realised the unpleasant ‘perfume’ was
indeed, stale alcohol. Most people would agree that somebody who smells of
alcohol more often than not is an alcoholic, but is it always as clear-cut as
this?
“Sure we’re Irish” we say in
justification.....
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What’s the difference? Think
about it. Our society seems to follow the bizarre rule; it’s only alcoholism if
you drink during the day or if you’re of a certain age. The physical and
psychological damage caused by alcohol abuse is serious; day or night, at any
age.
“Sure we’re Irish” we say in
justification, thus keeping alive the tired old stereotype of the ’drunken
Irish’. When I lived in Canada, I was met with so much presumption based on
this stereotype– and it gets old, very quickly! A guy I knew (whose girlfriend
loved to call me ‘potato’), jokingly said one day “be careful with her, she’s Irish,
she might ‘bottle you.” Charming, absolutely charming.
