€2000 – the average annual spend on drink

Does living on the east coast increase your thirst for porter? Are Irish men spending more cash on drinks for their partners? A new study suggests so.

Irish men are shelling out substantially more for their sauce than women, that we know for sure, as the average Irish man parts with €2,395 per year compared to the fair sex who drops €1,607 on drinks annually, according to research carried out by Aviva Health Insurance.

Drinkers in Dublin and Louth, who spend approximately €2,000 per year on drink, may need to take a long hard look at themselves after the findings show that they down six pints of beer or cider or 12 glasses of wine every week.

It might not sound like a whole lot to a nation of seasoned pros, but that’s double the limit which has been identified as damaging to your health.

Those who are least fond of a drop hail from far-flung places like Carlow, Donegal, Kerry, Laois, Roscommon and Tipperary. But could there be another reason? Are they just starting to run out of the stuff?

Dr Stephen Murphy of the Aviva Medical Council said: “People living in Ireland who are in work have a tendency towards a work hard, play hard lifestyle.

“Often drinking is used as a way to unwind after a busy week or to forget about the troubles of the day.”

Which reminds us, it’s nearly clocking off time. Anyone for drinks?