Drinking in the GAA - problem or not?

[Declan]

What do people think ?
Is it a reflection of life as per Dr Rowe or is Bob Ryan on the money?
My experience of lads is that I'm more in the docs corner   

The Cork County Board chairman Bob Ryan does not believe that binge-drinking in the GAA is a major problem confronting the association in Cork.

Mr Ryan was responding to comments made today by outgoing Waterford team doctor Mark Rowe, who declared one of the biggest challenges facing the GAA was the issue of binge drinking.

Dr Rowe, who stepped down last night as medic to the Waterford senior hurlers, said that the problem is just not in sport or in hurling or in Waterford hurling but it was everywhere.

"In a way the young hurlers are like a reflection of the community," he said.

"Even though many of them would be disciplined and focused, that self-destruct button of binge drinking can bring everybody down."

Dr Rowe described his time with Waterford as a great privilege, but expressed alarm at the amount of alcohol consumption among players nationwide.

"The thing with drink is this: 'If I am not drinking anymore than the other fellas, I haven't a problem and sure if I am off the drink for three weeks and then go on the lash, what's the problem'.

"There is a mountain of work to be done by the GAA on this issue, which is really empowering young people to improve their self esteem and confidence."

Responding to the comments, the Cork County Board chairman told the Evening Echo newspaper today that he wasn't aware of that happening in Cork — and he believed with the near-professional approach of intercounty players these days, it just would not be possible for players to be drinking heavily.

"I can only speak from a Cork viewpoint and I have certainly seen no evidence of what was reported in the newspapers today.

"The Cork players of today, at all levels, put in huge preparation and their training is immense for so many months of the year. You just have to witness them in training and the levels of preparatory work they do, I don't think drink is an issue with any of them."

Mr Ryan believes too that even at club level in the county, the bar has been raised so high in preparation that it leaves little time for the type of binge drinking that has been suggested.

"Yes, the club scene has changed a lot too, clubs put in a huge effort now in training and if the players were drinking heavily they just could not cope."

[Zulu]

I'd say there is more issues in other sports. As with many Irish lads, a lot of 20 something GAA players probably drink too much when they are out but in my experience lads playing rugby or soccer drink more often and probably as heavy as GAA boys. Whatever about the GAA I do think as a nation we could do with reassessing our drinking habits a bit.

[armaghniac]

Is there a particular problem with alcohol in the GAA. Probably not.
Is there a problem with alcohol in Irish society. Absolutely.

[5 Sams]

Whenever our manager asks our senior players to stay off the drink for x number of days or weeks...they do it...no problem...if our manager had have asked us the same question 20 years ago he would have been laughed out of the changing rooms.....

[thewobbler]

If you take any group of 30 Irish fellas aged between 16-35, there will be a decent quantity who are fond of the sauce, and a handful who are overly fond of the sauce. As there's always 30-odd players at a GAA club, opining that there's a drink problem in GAA circles is downright lazy thinking. I hate lazy thinking. Dr Rowe is a lazy thinker.

[The Worker]

There's a lot  more drinking in rugby, soccer, afl etc

[thewobbler]

There's a lot  more drinking in rugby, soccer, afl etc

No there isn't.

[andoireabu]

How much is too much?  When I played we went off it totally for a few weeks before championship for whatever reason and most lads kept to it.  I used to drink more than I do now and think it was just a phase I went through when I had the time and a bit of spare cash (no bills back in the day).  Most lads my age would have been the same and some can't look at more than a few pints now and still play away.

[The Worker]

There's a lot  more drinking in rugby, soccer, afl etc

No there isn't.

From my experience.

[armaghniac]

There's a lot  more drinking in rugby, soccer, afl etc

Darts?

[moysider]

There's a lot  more drinking in rugby, soccer, afl etc

No there isn't.

Still talking about drinking after all these years.

Ever before a drop passed my lips, I remember drink being presented as a new plague. Every now and then it s presented as a new threat but it has always been there - probably as long as there s been people on this island.

There s always been a Dr. Rowe or a Dr. Mickey or a Father Matthew.

It s not a huge issue facing the GAA. Nothing to do with the GAA. Drinking is an individual lifestyle choice. In fact the GAA is doing a lot of young men a favour as regards drinking. Better to play a bit and drink rather than just drink.

Those concerned about drinking - and there s a lot to be concerned about I d say - have a bigger pool to examine than GAA players or anybody involved in sport. A minority of people are active in sport and I d suspect that inactive people are doing even more damage to themselves with the drinking. All about balance imo.

These types of statements by Dr. Rowe are alarmist and unfair. His experience is not necessarily universal. Yeah, young men play ball and drink too much but the drink culture varies from place to place and even within a club the culture will change over time from one cohort of players to another.

[ApresMatch]

Def not a GAA problem, more a society thing. The GAA lads about our place dont have drinkin problems whereas those not into GAA would do lot more drinking. When the lads though plan a night out then it will be a session but I dont see the harm. If fellas though are missing training due to excess drink then they need to ask themselves few questions. County training def doesnt accomodate big drinkers simply because of the training demands put on players. Players at a weekend will likely be training fri night, then training or a game on sunday allowing no room for a big drinkin session.

[rrhf]

 More drink less talk

[haveaharp]

Trying to get served in the big tree on a big match day is a serious problem.

Drink culture within the GAA is much the same as drink culture in Irish society full stop. We binge drink, is it madly different from 50/60 years ago ?

[Bingo]

As someone said, its a lazy argument and easy to throw at such a big organisation as the GAA and the demographic that they have in their playing/membership ranks.

If its a problem in society you will find some of the same problems in the GAA. I don't think the GAA has ever encouraged drinking and would go out of their way not to encourage it, more so than any other sporting or community organisation.

Some people would prefer if prohibition was introduced and they'll always be louder than some who see no problem.