I think it is fantastic.

wise_guy (Tyrone) - Posts: 1584 - 05/06/2014 13:39:57    1598578

Fair point Soma.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2993 - 05/06/2014 13:45:51    1598584

Jaysus, if they introduce this at Healy Park in Omagh then WW3 will break out!!

Not the most restrained of people at the best of times, I fear that the young lassies vocabulary & experience of the grimier side of life would be expanded in a way I don't favour by watching beer fuelled Tyrone men in full flight!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 05/06/2014 14:04:29    1598602

Soma, look, nothin personal but I can never see us coming around to the same way of thinking.
In your example you are talkin about a lad havin 1 or 2 pints over the course of 2 hours.
whereas ive been known to force 4 down in the half hour before throw-in
if i had 2 hours to spare id have at least 6 down the gullet, maybe even a kebab from some like it hot as well if in the smoke.

so we are worlds apart, we will have to leave it at that

i do think you need to have a long hard look at yourself though

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 05/06/2014 15:00:12    1598650

Soma,

"However, who is making sure in Thurles stadium that adults are drinking responsibly?"

I usually agree with your posts but that is a ridiculous thing to say. The onus is on the adult to be responsible. I've had a bellyful of this nanny state already.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 05/06/2014 15:11:16    1598664

keeper7 I agree of course it is the drinkers responsibility themselves but we both know that alcohol can lead to trouble, the question was who deals with any hassle that starts as a result of alcohol being served in the ground. For the soccer games here there are an army of fully trained stewards policing everything in a crowd similar to what would be at a big game in Thurles, with about 50 police stationed immediately outside the ground, many on horseback. That has nothing to do with football hooliganism either, that is almost completely a thing of the past, it is just that just like bouncers are required in pubs, where there is alcohol there is often silly trouble. Maybe it is different in county grounds to how it used to be but I always thought the limited number of stewards in place (thankfully they are not really needed at GAA games) are simply local volunteers helping out?

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 05/06/2014 15:37:51    1598686

I see you don't have a problem with bars coke and greasy chips. We have a drink culture in this country because no one leads by example and I'm willing the same people that dislike alcohol in grounds drink in front of kids all the time. Alcohol is treated like a forbidden fruit and when kids become 18.....session on, if we didn't make a big deal out of it kids wouldn't drink.

freetaker1 (Limerick) - Posts: 754 - 05/06/2014 16:03:01    1598706

I went to a rugby game once. It was a Heineken Cup Final - I jumped on the bandwagon I admit. I have little or no interest in rugby as a form of entertainment so I engaged in another form of entertainment - I drank and I drank heavily. I knew that when I rocked up to the game about 5 minutes after it started that I could get another few. I did and then I went to my seat and I interrupted people -as many did. A lot of the 'fans' at the game went as it was just an excuse to get smashed. However, most went as they genuinely like rugby. I wonder how they felt sitting besides us idiots? I feel guilty now but at the time I was a much younger twat that didn't care. It is up to people to take responsibility for themselves but the reality is that they do not and they cause a nuisance and little is done about it - as volunteer stewards are not keen to task yobs who are drunk (regardless of where they got drunk-inside or outside).

I don't think this is a civil liberties issue or nanny state issue or 'oh won't somebody think of the children' type mentality...not that at all..you can watch matches in pubs every Sunday, you can sit and home and get smashed while watching it on TV and we all do it or have done it and are not snobby about..you are then with like minded people who also like a drink and want to watch a match simultaneously..most people can go to the pub and then the stadium and enjoy the game without bothering others..others can't unfortunately and they ruin the games for many others, why add more fuel to these people?...for years people went to GAA games to be entertained by what was on the field and nobody complained, why all of sudden do we need alcohol now? Is it the way Donegal play or something?

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 05/06/2014 16:20:57    1598713

freetaker - if we didn't make such a big deal about it kids wouldn't drink.

People don't make a big deal about for no reason however its education and not just saying to a kid that you cannot drink. Children look for role models and if they go into a grounds and see their local club hero drinking a pint at the game, it gives an impression of association of drink with the GAA. Yes you can argue that the same could happen if they the kid happened to be in a pub but the GAA cannot do anything about that. Just for you I will remind you why people make a big deal about it.
I will agree with you people don't take responsibility, so thats why the GAA needs to.

Key facts
The changes that occur to the brain during the teenage years make young people more vulnerable to drug dependence.
People who first use alcohol before age 15 are five times more likely to abuse alcohol than those who first use alcohol at age 21 or older. This increased use leads to a greater chance of alcohol-related problems in later life, including becoming
dependent on alcohol (addiction).
Different parts of the brain develop at different rates as we grow, and depending on whether we are male or female. One example is the pre-frontal cortex, which houses the part of the brain that controls rational thinking. This part of the brain does not begin to mature until age 19 and only fully matures by around age 21 in women and age 28 in men. So damage to the prefrontal cortex during its development can have life-long consequences for the young person's memory, personality and behaviour.
Drinking alcohol during the teenage years can cause permanent brain damage. Damage to the brain could be responsible for memory problems, inability to learn, problems with verbal skills, alcohol dependence and depression.
Alcohol can affect a teenager's social development if they start drinking at an early age. They may spend their time drinking instead of participating in sports or other recreational activities. They may turn to alcohol as a form of coping with problems and be more open to using other substances. The learning difficulties caused by teenage drinking can result in poor school performance and an increased risk of social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts and violence.
Research shows that a hangover can be just as damaging to the brain as heavy drinking by reducing a person's ability to learn new information and recall memories.

Special considerations and tips
For health reasons, recent research suggests that young people under 18 years of age should avoid alcohol.
There are both short-term and long-term risks associated with teenage drinking. Make sure you understand these,
and keep yourself informed.
Talk to your teenager about alcohol. Explain the risks and the harms associated with drinking at a young age. Be firm, confident, clear and consistent.
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Remember, you are not alone. Other parents of teenagers are most likely facing the same issues. Share your concerns as well as what has worked for you when dealing with
teenagers and alcohol. Seek professional help if you need it.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1806 - 05/06/2014 17:04:33    1598736

Ah Benny, don't tell me Donegal are responsible for the alcoholic tsunami that is sweeping the country.

Fair enough we are not everyone's cup of tea, but turning people to drink??

Why stop at drink? Maybe JMcG was behind the banking crisis, the removal of medical cards & Ming Flanagan topping the poll as well.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 05/06/2014 17:15:23    1598741

That is more or less it all summed up Benny, and in a much better way than I had been struggling with. And while people say we have a drink problem in Ireland because nobody leads on it, another person might say we cant even go to a sports game without having alcohol. A poor attitude to alcohol is not just an Irish problem, most countries with a wet, cold climate have issues with alcohol.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 05/06/2014 17:19:22    1598743

not at all Muckross..'twas tongue firmly in cheek...people say the current Cork defence (hurlers) parts like the red sea for opposition forwards...if you sit down with a bottle of whiskey and watch a repeat of the Waterford game (with at least half the bottle drank before pressing play), you'll see that our defense was packed...alcohol makes every team look better..

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 05/06/2014 17:33:07    1598753

Yes we have a problem with drink in this country but I'd like to see the onus put back on people themselves to take responsibility. Sometimes the restrictive laws in place I think compound people's urge to binge drink. e.g. Last orders at the bar, everyone throwing drink into them to get in another one in before being chucked out! That doesn't happen on the continent coz the laws aren't as strict & people don't tend to make gluttons of themselves.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/06/2014 15:08:57    1599107

It is bit hypocritical of an organisation banning alcoholic advertising yet selling by the barrel load. You have to take GAA policies and statements and rules with a grain of salt.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4903 - 06/06/2014 17:23:34    1599196

It's not the GAA who actually SELL the alcohol at matches! Guinness were great sponsors for the hurling championship for years.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/06/2014 18:53:19    1599228

Question for some here who like a beer or two at the match: why? If I pay in to a match, I want to make sure I take in everything that's going on on the pitch. Nowt stopping people having a few beers after the final whistle. Genuine question, not trying to have a go at anyone.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 06/06/2014 19:02:35    1599233

Coz we don't get out too often!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/06/2014 21:16:47    1599289

05/06/2014 15:00:12
Horse
County: Laois
Posts: 1116

1598650
Soma...ive been known to force 4 down in the half hour before throw-in
if i had 2 hours to spare id have at least 6 down the gullet...


Whoah. Sir, you have a drug problem

i do think you need to have a long hard look at yourself though

Ladies and gentlemen, we may already have a 2014 winner for 'Most Unintentionally Ironic Post'

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 07/06/2014 17:48:29    1599470

06/06/2014 19:02:35 Gleebo
Question for some here who like a beer or two at the match: why? If I pay in to a match, I want to make sure I take in everything that's going on on the pitch. Nowt stopping people having a few beers after the final whistle. Genuine question, not trying to have a go at anyone. Because games are often complete social occasions and people go for the day out and its the same as a concert/going to cinema/theatre etc and its for leisure and people want to have a few drinks and enjoy themselves.
Nothing stopping people from having a few drinks and still being able to take in everything going on on the pitch

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 07/06/2014 17:56:06    1599471