Oh dear, my husband and I are going to Ireland and for medical reasons cannot drink alcohol. Does that make us party poopers in the pubs? What do non-drinkers drink?

non-issue. he can drink whatever he wants...same as everywhere else - fizzy drinks, water, coffee, tea, etc. many people go to pubs and do not drink alcohol.

Soda, usually. Pubs do stock various kinds of pop-Coke, Lilt, etcetera, or possibly orange juice. I can remember seeing little line-ups of pop bottles on the bar, so you can see what they have. Not drinking in a pub is a little unusual, but I wouldn't think it likely to be a problem. Just don't order cider. It will be hard cider and contains alchohol. Shandy is sometimes a drink made with lemonade and beer (better than it sounds) and sometimes is in the title of a soda flavor "Rock Shandy". Perry, although you don't see it much, is also alchoholic. Have fun!

agreed, you'll be fine. My wife had the same issue due to a medication on one trip. Was never a problem. She drank a lot of tea.

Bill

As others have said, it's not a problem. I often drink water when I am going to drive home -- but it's a circumstance where I would pay for bottled water rather than ask for tap water, which is usually given free.

Bar staff might not like to be asked for tea or coffee in the evenings in a busy establishment. in fact, many houses do not provide hot drinks in the evening.

Thanks. Helpful info, particularly names of bottled drinks and the info that they might not want to make tea when busy.

Ha! I wondered much the same thing. My husband and I are going to Ireland for our belated honeymoon in late April, and I don't drink at all because I loathe the taste and way alcohol makes me feel. My husband? A beer and hard liquor fanatic -- blame it on having a father from the Emerald Isle. It'll be...interesting...

We drank lemonade. It's not fresh made with lemons but more like a soft drink and really good.

We were just in Ireland, and lots of people were drinking cokes and even pots of tea.

Sandy

Lemondade means clear carbonated drink here. Same as Sprite.

you can also get non-alcholic beers such as Kaliber in several bars.

help me here what is the opposite of hard cider? Cider is alcoholic unless described as non-alcoholic.

Anyway sorry to hear of any condition that stops this

My Irish Mother-in-law always orders tea in Pubs even in the evening...can't imagine anyone in Ireland EVER thinking it odd to drink tea at ANY hour at all...maybe in spots catering to a very young crowd or disco? or maybe in Cities? they could be too busy to be bothered?? never found that to be the case though...and...they would always be polite about it anyway and REALLY would not think it odd to order tea even at 10pm. Otherwise, no one at ALL would think it odd to order a Coke...there's all kinds of big news right now about the change in the drink-driving law and no-tolerance limit...so I have been with many people ordering non-alcoholic drinks in the past month.

Bilbo, in the US cider is almost always non-alchoholic. It is pressed, unfiltered apple juice that is refrigerated and often pasteurised as well, instead of being permitted to ferment. Good cider is brown, mildly sweet, and has a crisp apple taste. Bad cider is golden, very sweet, and is basically apple juice. Neither kind is carbonated. Many americans would assume that cider was non-alchoholic unless told otherwise.

persimmondeb

Thanks, talk about two countries divided by a common language

Bilbo

I've had Schwepp's Lemonade in Australia. I imagine it's the same in Ireland, essentially 7Up that's a little less syrupy.

Tea is also a good choice.

I know Ireland had good fresh juices in restaurants but don't recall about pubs. Definitely don't order cider because it is fermented.

Remember to order at the bar rather than waiting to be served (unless you are in a lounge). While most people order pints at a pub. It's not a requirement.

Lively craic, here, huh?

Now wouldn't some of you like to move over to my thread on my itinerary and give me some good advice there as well?

Vera

Not to worry! I didn't drink either not because I couldn't but because I'm a "Margarita" drinker and they are very hard to find in Ireland!! I don't care for beer and your only other choice is hard liquour. But I had the time of my life! The most friendly people in ALL my travels (including in America) are the Irish! Absolutely, wonderful, warm people, who are genuinely outgoing fun people.

Side note, in Canada cider is alcoholic as a rule,, and I was most dissappointed to discover that it is difficult to find it in Europe, ,it is so refreshing on a hot day. We have apple, pear, peach, nectarine and berry ciders,, very yummy.
I think there is an alcoholic cider from France ( I imagine in the Calvados region) but I don't know what they call it.

As for pubs and drinking, what is that drink that is beer and lemonade?

bozama asked: "what is that drink that is beer and lemonade?"

Shandy.

Rock shandy has been mentioned in this thread; that has no beer (or any alcohol content).