It is far better to drink in the public house than in the home

THERE are three references to the consumption of stout in Christy Moore’s much-loved song from the ’80s, Lisdoonvarna.

It is doubtful if Guinness complained then about the positive references to the alcoholic liquid dotted throughout the song, even if its brand name was not used. For those who don’t remember, the song was about the “craic” of going to a major music festival and “drink” more than played its part in all that went on and was celebrated for it.

Now, however, Moore, an alcoholic who thankfully has been dry for 23 years, has been to the forefront in the lambasting of the Guinness marketing exercise called Arthur’s Day, which took place yesterday.

He wrote a song to condemn what he saw as the cynicism of the marketing ploy by Diageo and it has received some limited play on the radio (including my own show, which normally doesn’t play songs but made an exception in this case last Monday to provide context for a studio debate). Some people texted in to say the song isn’t very good, others to say that they don’t want to be lectured by Moore or anyone else on the exercise of their personal responsibility. But he’s entitled to his opinion and the right to air it, just as many might choose to ignore it.

Others have complained that other big national days, such as St Patrick’s Day and All-Ireland final days, at least have something else at their core with drink the addition, whereas Arthur’s Day is a celebration of alcohol itself. Diageo is clearly sensitive to this charge, emphasising that the event is about the promotion of live music and that nobody is obliged to drink Guinness or indeed anything alcoholic if they attend. It is paying about 1,000 live acts to perform.

Guinness has been accused in particular of marketing its product to young people, by the provision of live concerts at pub venues all over the country. It replies that drink can only be sold to and consumed by adults at these venues. Medics have pointed to the increased traffic at hospital accident and emergency departments by the end of Arthur’s Day in its previous four incarnations.

Diageo says the increase is to levels that apply normally on Friday and Saturday evenings. It would be naïve for anyone to deny that Guinness is trying to promote sales of its product, not just on the day in question, but by giving non-users an excuse to sample the stout. Younger drinkers, over the age of 18, tend to turn to other types of drinks, such as lager and spirits, in larger number. It is hardly a surprise that Guinness has tried to find a way of protecting the investment it has made in its product which is legal to purchase and consume for anyone over the age of 18.

It is also trying to protect the public house, or pub, as a venue in which people can meet and socialise. Almost 1,000 pubs have closed since the economic implosion of 2008. The total volume of alcohol sales has fallen by nearly 10% overall between 2007 and 2012 but, tellingly, the collapse in pub sales has been by about 33%. This highlights the significant shift that there has been to home drinking but also dents badly the contention of the anti-alcohol lobby that this country has a drinking problem that is out of control.

The cost to the State of providing healthcare and to employers of covering absenteeism is enormous. The criminal courts deal with many drink-related assaults, manslaughters and murders. But the claims by anti-drink advocates that the cost to the State is about double the €2 billion the State receives in alcohol-related tax income (when employment is added) is open to some scrutiny.

The reality is that alcohol use is ingrained in our culture. However, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that people in their 20s and 30s and 40s are nowhere near as reckless in their consumption of alcohol as those of the older generations (There are exceptions of course).

It is the older generations who were the drink drivers for example. There are still some outrageous examples of deadly driving by younger people, with appalling consequences, but overall there is a greater compliance and responsibility among younger people when it comes to drink driving. When it comes to the workplace younger people are far less likely than previous generations to turn in “worse for wear”.

That is not to deny there are worrying trends. While per capita consumption has fallen to the EU averages — given lie to the stereotype of the drunken Irish, although there may be more binge drinking by the Irish — it seems that the number of females drinking, and the quantity consumed by some of those women – has risen. And then there is the greater popularity of drinking at home, a phenomenon largely dictated by price.

This potentially has great dangers. There have been too many stories told in Ireland for generations of men staggering home drunk from the pub and being abusive to their families, of wives and children cowering from the abuse received.

There have been too many fights inside and outside pubs and at fast food outlets after closing time. There has been less of that since the downturn in the pub trade, although last night might have tested that if some people over indulged rather than focusing on the music. Instead we are hearing too many stories of parties in private homes going badly wrong, leading to assaults, often with kitchen cutlery such as knives, and with deaths resulting. There is no control over the measures of alcohol being consumed. It is easier for people to engage in the use of illegal drugs as an accompaniment to the alcohol.

CHILDREN are being exposed to alcohol use in quantities that cannot be advisable. They are watching their parents drink in ways that their own parents are most unlikely to have seen at home a generation ago. Drink is being normalised.

Whatever about occasionally witnessing a parent wander home drunk what must it be like for children to see their parents fall into a drunken state at home, in front of them? Pubs were introduced in the first place as a way to get drinking out of the home or shebeens, into a regulated environment where measures were provided and a responsible publican would stop selling to someone who had consumed too much.

It was a way of getting away from consumption of poteen, lethal home brew. It didn’t always work out that well, with unscrupulous publicans often selling more alcohol to the clearly drunk. Some came to resent what they saw as being fleeced by wealthy publicans. Sympathy for the financial plight of the publican is limited. But the pub is a better place to drink than at home.

Is Arthur's Day unique or how often do alcohol companies throughout the world sponsor music concerts/festivals?

— Matt Cooper (@cooper_m) September 25, 2013

Christy Moore spot on about #ArthursDay

— Ciaran Fleming (@is_mise_ciaran) September 26, 2013

* A personal declaration of interest: The Last Word programme on Today FM and I previously engaged in a commercial relationship with Guinness for the promotion of Area 22, rugby-themed events staged in pubs. This extended into a television programme for TV3.

Guinness was very keen to ensure that nobody was seen to drink on stage and that the crowd behaved responsibly in its alcohol consumption. The relationship has been discontinued.

I was also a judge for the Arthur Guinness Projects this year, a fund which is giving money to socially beneficial projects throughout the country. I drink very occasionally, often going months without any alcohol intake. I might have a pint at Croke Park tomorrow evening.