Irish drinker pays through ear for beer necessities

A PINT in the local is supposed to be an indelible part of our culture, but we’re paying through the ear for the privilege.

Research from Ernst and Young has shown we are paying nine times the average EU excise tax. Last year alone, our cultural forays garnered a tidy €427m for our beleaguered Exchequer.

Our national thirst has also made us unwitting connoisseurs of beer and stout, as Ireland is Europe’s third highest exporter of beer, lagging behind the Netherlands and Belgium.