does anyone know the drinking age in Wales and Ireland?
Jun 2nd, 2005 | 12:15 AM
#4
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,268
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There's no such thing as a "legal drinking age" in Britain. Nor, I suspect, in the Republic of Ireland. But there are enough Irish residents on this board to explain the subtleties of life over there.
In England and Wales, anyone over 5 may, at the licensee's discretion, consume (but not purchase) alcohol bought by a parent or guardian on licensed premises if it's legal for the child to be there. Which, roughly, is if it's a restaurant or if it's a pub before 9pm. "Restaurant" usually includes the eating areas of pubs.
At home, children under 5 may drink booze under medical orders. Over 5 it's no damn business of the nanny state what they drink.
It's legal for anyone over 16 to buy beer, cider or perry in a restaurant and consume it. In Scotland they can buy wine in a restaurant too.
But you can't, legally, buy or consume any alcohol in a bar till you're 18.
In practice, this last law is widely ignored. ID is increasingly insisted on by the bouncers that are now omnipresent at night in the binge-drinking strip of practically every town and city. But in ordinary pubs, it's generally accepted as simply part of English life to let anyone old enough to shave have a pint or two.
But the occasional officious policeman might object (after all, they've nothing else to do with their time), and that can have unpleasant consequences for the licensee. So under-18's have to accept the occasional refusal as part of the unfairness of life.
That's the law. Culturally, virtually no-one in Britain cares about the principle of some drinking by young people, though there's widespread concern about the practice of youthful binge drinking.
However, there is a tradition of teetolalism in some nonconformist areas of the country, including those parts of Wales known as "Chapel", and youthful (or any) drinking may be widely disapproved. Central Cardiff and Swansea, and the Liverpool/Manchester suburbs in North Wales are emphatically not in this booze-free belt.
In England and Wales, anyone over 5 may, at the licensee's discretion, consume (but not purchase) alcohol bought by a parent or guardian on licensed premises if it's legal for the child to be there. Which, roughly, is if it's a restaurant or if it's a pub before 9pm. "Restaurant" usually includes the eating areas of pubs.
At home, children under 5 may drink booze under medical orders. Over 5 it's no damn business of the nanny state what they drink.
It's legal for anyone over 16 to buy beer, cider or perry in a restaurant and consume it. In Scotland they can buy wine in a restaurant too.
But you can't, legally, buy or consume any alcohol in a bar till you're 18.
In practice, this last law is widely ignored. ID is increasingly insisted on by the bouncers that are now omnipresent at night in the binge-drinking strip of practically every town and city. But in ordinary pubs, it's generally accepted as simply part of English life to let anyone old enough to shave have a pint or two.
But the occasional officious policeman might object (after all, they've nothing else to do with their time), and that can have unpleasant consequences for the licensee. So under-18's have to accept the occasional refusal as part of the unfairness of life.
That's the law. Culturally, virtually no-one in Britain cares about the principle of some drinking by young people, though there's widespread concern about the practice of youthful binge drinking.
However, there is a tradition of teetolalism in some nonconformist areas of the country, including those parts of Wales known as "Chapel", and youthful (or any) drinking may be widely disapproved. Central Cardiff and Swansea, and the Liverpool/Manchester suburbs in North Wales are emphatically not in this booze-free belt.
Jun 2nd, 2005 | 12:44 AM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,172
Likes: 0
It's 18 in Dublin and at bars and clubs at least in Dublin they are enforcing it and starting to ask for ID I have seen many a young bunch turned away from pubs...saying that there is always places who will turn their head and let them in.
If I saw a child drinking at the bar/pub etc I would call the guards. I don't think this is legal to do in Ireland and would be seen as totally wrong. ifind it hard to believe a child over 5 can be allowed to drink legally.
If he is in a smaller country area it should be no problem for a 17 year old as he probably will look older than 17 if he is tall.
If I saw a child drinking at the bar/pub etc I would call the guards. I don't think this is legal to do in Ireland and would be seen as totally wrong. ifind it hard to believe a child over 5 can be allowed to drink legally.
If he is in a smaller country area it should be no problem for a 17 year old as he probably will look older than 17 if he is tall.
