Galway residents trying to stay “dry” for the month of January

By Corie Welch and Katie-Marie Murnane

It’s that season in Ireland once again where we swap out our beloved pints for purpose, in the love-hate affair that is “Dry January.” 

Popularized in 2013 by the organization Alcohol Change UK, “Dry January” is the commitment to abstain from consuming alcohol for the entire month. According to the organization, the goal is not to hide away for thirty days, but to encourage people to continue living their normal lives in an attempt to uphold healthier habits. 

In December, half of Irish alcohol consumers said they were interested in staying off the drink for the month according to a survey conducted by Dublin-based research firm Bounce Insights. Participants’ motivations were both financial and health related.   

“I feel like it’s a good start to the New Year,” said Galway resident Zara. “It’s especially needed after Christmas when you’ve been drinking and eating so much and you just want to detox for a while.”

In Galway, local bars and pubs have noticed a lull. Bar staff at Taaffes, Shannon said, “It’s very slow in January. We’ve had to cut our part-timer’s hours this month because we’re just not busy.” Other bars, like Massimos and O’Connell’s have enacted hiring freezes for the month.

But for bartender James at Garavan’s, he says a lag in sales is normal for this time of year, but nothing to be concerned about. “We still have our regulars, you can see these lovely gentlemen here,” he said motioning to a cluster of older men seated at the bar, “they keep me busy every morning.”

Galway resident Siobhan opposes the all or nothing approach that Dry January promotes. “I think it feeds into the binge-restrict cycle that is so prevalent in our society right now,” she said.  “We should be implementing better techniques that are more sustainable like promoting healthier drinking habits over the long term.”

While Ireland is renowned for its vibrant pub culture and its reputation for being ‘fond of the drink,’ Ireland’s alcohol intake has decreased. According to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on alcohol consumption in the EU, fourteen countries saw a decline of over one litre per person but both Ireland and Lithuania saw the highest decrease in over two litres per person from 2010 to 2020.  

The report also looked at something called ‘episodic drinking’ also known as ‘binge drinking’ where Ireland featured in the top ten countries that displayed high rates of this kind of behavior. 

“Sometimes I think dry January encourages that idea of nothing for a month and then a big massive blowout in February, …I’m going to Berlin like” said Galway local Kaitlyn.

According to a University of Sussex Report from 2019, 70% of dry January participants saw improved general health overall, including improved sleep, metabolism, and sexual function. This extended to those who didn’t quite make it to the end of the month.   

Over twenty days into the month, some people have given up on their commitments to be alcohol free, leaning into what they call a “damp” January. “I was taking part in Dry January right up until last night, I had a pint of Guinness,” said Annabelle, another Galway resident.

With the finish line in sight, Galway residents agreed that they’re most excited for January to be over. Forecast for February: wet.