MICK MULCAHY

Artist

I drink from lunch time on, every day. Some days it would be more water than beer, other days it might be less water and more beer. That would seem to some like I have a drink problem, but as a nation are we losing the crack and getting too uptight about it all? I have spent a lot of the last 40 years living and working in Paris, daytime drinking is the norm there. I’m happy anyway with the amount I drink. I’m heathy and have no interest in drinking less.

I used to drink whiskey when I was younger. Once, when living in Germany, I drank so much of that fighting spirit that I had to be hospitalised. There I met a wonderful, non-judgmental doctor. He told me I’d such an endless amount of creative energy that I needed to focus it, and channel it into my paintings. This I did and in doing so I drink less. I guess some drinks suit us and some drinks don’t.

An acupuncturist has since told me that my system is fire, and hence spirits fire me up too much. This I find to be true. Still, my favourite drink is Captain Morgan, and the odd time I will drink it, just to enjoy the tomfoolery of being drunk. The next morning the cure is another drink. Sometimes we can take life too seriously and getting drunk can be a great stress-buster.

Once I was off the drink for 12 years and I was so bored I went back on it. I’m very sociable by nature. I like to meet and chat to new people. I can’t to that at home sitting by the fireplace. So for socialising, drinking is an important part of my life, but drink is not the be-all and end-all of my life.