# Irish Drinking Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954 "2008-10-28T16:08:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![KnitWit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@KnitWit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnitWit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/61 "2008-10-29T22:57:52Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Work(s) do makes sense to this Oirish person too. This is one I haven’t heard. But my neighbor did give me a strange this morning when I asked her, “What’s the craic?” I seem to have picked up some strange habits from my husband. My grandmother occasionally phones me and askes, “How’s Mr. Knitwit’s English coming along.” I have to remind her that he already speaks English, just because she can’t understand him doesn’t mean he speaks a foreign language. Consequently, grandma was born in Italy and has probaby never had an entire drink her life. She’s a complete teetotally who frowns on anyone who has even one now and then. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/62 "2008-10-30T07:20:23Z")
> [@KnitWit](#): > > My grandmother occasionally phones me and askes, “How’s Mr. Knitwit’s English coming along.” Somehow I get the feeling this is an actual quote, and not just you using your username as a sub for your real name? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/63 "2008-10-30T11:12:09Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I tend to find that the Irish people I know can hold their drink better than the English, to, and in ten years in Dublin, I saw two fights only; the same cannot be said for this country, alas. I’d agree with you about YOUNG English/Welsh/Scots who seem to want to fight someone/anyone after half a pint of weak shandy but as far as the Irish are concerned saw some pretty violent fist/boot fights between the locals in,for one example, Crossmaglen and thinking about it Dundalk. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/64 "2008-10-30T14:39:03Z")
**SeanArenas** - the point was that it wasn’t a novelty, those guys had come for 4 years of medical school, and we were drinking every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and often a few other nights a week too. I’m not sure if it was the fact that it was mid-week, or that it was a regular thing, or that we didn’t need any other reason than “we’re right opposite the pub”, but something did seem to push their buttons. ---
**Author:** ![mbedell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mbedell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbedell)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/65 "2008-10-30T18:36:39Z")
\*First of all, is it even true? \* Speaking from personal experience, yes. I grew up on the far south side of Chicago which is predominately Irish, polish, & German. There is literallly 1 sports bar for every 1 mile. Cant add anything from a historical perspective, but its not a “stereotype” because its true. I am 50% Irish. Thankfully I never had the desire to booze it up. ---
**Author:** ![KnitWit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@KnitWit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnitWit)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/66 "2008-10-30T20:28:04Z")
> [@mbedell](#): > > \*First of all, is it even true? \* > > Speaking from personal experience, yes. I grew up on the far south side of Chicago which is predominately Irish, polish, & German. There is literallly 1 sports bar for every 1 mile. Cant add anything from a historical perspective, but its not a “stereotype” because its true. I am 50% Irish. Thankfully I never had the desire to booze it up. One sports bar per mile? By Boston standards that’s nothing. Every square block has three or four. Even here in the middle of nowhere the small towns have at LEAST a bar on every block. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/67 "2008-10-30T20:42:38Z")
So, Irish people are not offended by the “Drunken Irish” stereotype? I’m genuinely curious. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/68 "2008-10-30T21:18:52Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > So, Irish people are not offended by the “Drunken Irish” stereotype? I’m genuinely curious. I’m not. Then again, I’m a drunk and I’m Irish. Maybe they’re all ashamed of me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/69 "2008-10-30T21:23:32Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > So, Irish people are not offended by the “Drunken Irish” stereotype? I’m genuinely curious. It’s a bit lazy but it doesn’t really bother me. Just don’t mistake our joviality and conviviality for idiocy and you’ll be grand. ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/70 "2008-10-30T22:08:39Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > So, Irish people are not offended by the “Drunken Irish” stereotype? I’m genuinely curious. Well, even though I’m Irish, I’m just not very good at being drunk. I fall over after two beers. Or does that mean I’m _very_ good at it? Offended? No, not at all. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954/71 "2008-10-30T23:35:04Z")
I’m an adopted American of Irish descent and I get the best of both worlds: A taste for the pint AND spaghetti dinners on Sundays with the parental units. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-drinking-question/469954.md?page=3)