BOOZE
We were handed a chance to test some big theories in past few months. The main one: is it possible to develop alcoholism during a global pandemic? The answer would appear to be no, judging by the way a lot of us ramped up our boozing. At-home alcohol consumption rose by 43pc during the first two months of lockdown. The sound of the suburbs was bottles being gently lowered into the glass bin every morning, in case the neighbours heard the din and reported you to Drinkaware.
There is a serious side here. This has obvious implications for our mental health. Domestic abuse calls to gardai rose 25pc in the five months up to June, with more than 100 people charged during the last two weeks of May, according to one newspaper report. I doubt the drinks industry would challenge a link to alcohol there.
It’s serious news for the licensed trade as well. People who swore by the pubs have suddenly found they can drink at home and probably simultaneously save enough money for a week in Tenerife.
So it looks like our relationship with alcohol is the same, only different. There is one thing that will still get us into a pub, though. The landlord. Billy Keane, my grandfather — in fact, anyone who made a go of a pub did so by making people feel like they belonged there. That Irish welcome is something you can’t get at home, no matter how many cheap cans of gin and tonic you fire down your throat. So don’t write the pubs off just yet.