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RECENT GRADUATE? LOOKING for work? If you’ve done some research on what trends are currently shaping the graduate recruitment market, you may well have heard of ‘employability’. So what exactly is employability?
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Each year gradireland releases the Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey, our official survey of graduate starting salaries and recruitment trends, conducted in cooperation with over 100 of Ireland’s leading graduate employers. We asked companies what they felt was lacking in terms of the skills and knowledge which Irish graduates were bringing to the workplace.
Language skills are in demand across all sectors
In terms of ‘hard’ skills, which are skills that a student gains through formal learning, 43% said that lack of fluency in a foreign language was the greatest shortfall which they saw in new recruits to their organisations. This is the number one area which companies are pointing to for improvement, and is up from 26% last year.
Why? Ireland’s open, globalised economy makes international trade part of day-to-day life for many companies, including global brand names. Seventy-five per cent of the world doesn’t speak English, so while it might not be in the first line of the job description, it is clear that fluent language skills will give you an edge in the cut-throat competition for the top graduate jobs.
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Involvement shows passion and initiative, building teamwork and communication skills, all key traits for the workplace.
Mark Mitchell is Director of gradireland.
Graduates can meet hiring employers, course providers, careers advisers and more at the gradireland Summer Fair in the RDS Dublin on the 10th of June. Entry is free, you can register here.
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To be fair, you have the choice to simply not “like” the facebook pages and not go out on Arthurs Day. Im not an advocate of the day, I wont be doing anything for it, but I dont see the problem with it if it makes some people happy! Evidently, it does, considering every pub is full on this random day of the year. However random it may be, its still a boost for the Irish economy, its still increasing tourism and its still lifting us, even marginally, towards a more stable economy!
How? Those paying for their tickets for “Arthur’s Day” won’t go out some other night instead. They’ll go to a pub where the taps of non-Diageo beers – including, say, those of actual *Irish* craft brewers – have been covered, at Diageo’s insistance. People buy Diageo beers, and the money leaves the country…
Anton, are you really suggesting that the hundreds of thousands of people that go out on this one random day of the year would have went out on another night anyway, without Arthurs Day? I highly doubt that many of them would. I also doubt that the bulk of tourists coming over for it would bother to come if it wasnt taking place. And no, the money doesnt simply leave the country. Every drink thats bought in Ireland is taxed.
Yes, David, I’m suggesting exactly that. Most people I know go out once night a week, or one night a fortnight, or whatever, depending on circumstances… for those going out for Arthur’s Day, that’ll be their night out and they’ll stay in the rest of that weekend. There’s a recession on, people don’t have the money to go out two or three times in a week.
Do more than a handful of diehard music fans (who’ve got an inside track of who is playing where) actually visit Ireland for Arthur’s Day? (Don’t they do it in orher countries too?)
Yes, every drink is taxed – but all Diageo profits, after tax, leave the country. It’s a British multinational listed on the UK and NYSE.
Guiness Family also bequeathed St. STEPHEN Green, Iveagh Gardens, Farmleigh house to the city of Dublin and were one of the first and only firms in Ireland to offer a pension and health care to its employees… I can forgive them a few trucks!
Anton, that may be the case with the people you know. However, where I work, theres allot of foreign employees. None of them ever come out for drinks with us. Every one of them is heading out for Arthurs Day because in their opinion “its Irish”! They wouldn’t go out otherwise! Most people visiting Ireland don’t visit it for the music. The number of Americans coming over for it will be huge, again, because they want to be part of “being Irish”..It doesn’t matter why theyre coming over, the fact is that the only time more Americans come to Ireland is St. Patricks Day. They will come over and spend money on allot more than just alcohol! All the hotel rooms getting filled on an otherwise quite day will help allot of people to keep their jobs! Last year the Irish economy grew by 0.4% as a result of Arthurs Day. Thats from the CSO, not Diageo.
Im not arguing where Diagio are from or that they take their profits out of Ireland, but they still hire around 1500 Irish staff directly, along with indirectly keeping so many thousands of Irish people in their jobs. Think of all the Irish farmers supplying the 80 million litres of milk for Baileys every year, or all the barley growers across the country who are able to put food on their table thanks to the amount of guinness getting consumed on Arthurs Day. All the otherwise empty pubs that will be hopping, even just for one day each year! Arthurs Day goes much further than simply the profits of a UK based company leaving the country!
Again, I dont plan to go out and celebrate it, but I still think its a great idea in terms of increasing income in the country and boosting the moral of some people.
I for one will be looking forward to Arthur’s Day. But I guess there’s people out there who think big bad corporates shouldn’t be allowed make money. It’s your choice whether you take part of not. If you don’t want to take part that’s fine, but keep your cribbing for other things; this is a non issue IMO. Bit of music, few Guinness, bit of Craic; I don’t see what the issue is.
As for drunks ending up in hospital, that’s a separate issue and TBH one would be some fool to end up in hospital over drink. That’s not Diageo’s fault.
Coke getting millions of people who would never normally drink it to buy their product, by simply printing their name on the label is also pretty amazing. So simple and effective.
Ya the coke one is ingenious, but not only do ppl buy it but every time you log on to Facebook another person is sharing their name and cokes brand with the world, you know, just in case we forgot!
Coca Cola creating the modern day version of Santa Claus (in his red suit) is probably the best one ever.
Anyway, even if it is a marketing stunt it allows people to see quality acts in different bars around Dublin on a random night in September. No harm in that.
I don’t like it cause it’s a cheap marketing stunt by a listed company who are no more Irish than Barack Obama, preying on a stereotype to ply their trade and show the Irish up as being suckers for a binge! Stick Arthur’s day where the sun don’t shine!
Sure St Patrick wasn’t Irish either but we still like to wear leprechaun hats and get pissed on that day. Lighten up everyone more Irish begrudgery sure maybe deaigeo should pack up and go somewhere else.
You’re right Paul, I can hear our founding fathers and the men and women of 1916 say it now: “Lighten up ye begrudgers, sher didn’t we give up our lives so some multinational could manipulate ye to expose a stereotype for financial gain”. Gimme a break, you can’t even spell diageo ffs!
“Arthur’s Day is neither an altruistic nor philanthropic initiative. It’s a very well-resourced marketing campaign to increase the sales of Diageo products,” says Costello.
This.
The first one – brilliant advertising idea. All subsequent ones (where “Arthur’s Day” changes date every year to land on a more “night-out-friendly” day) – Diageo marketing stunt. Diageo are a UK-based multinational with no ties to Ireland except owning some breweries and distilleries here.
I may well toast Arthur’s memory on his birthday, if I remember – but if I do, it’ll be with what he made: an Irish stout or porter. So probably an O’Hara’s stout or Leann Folainn, or a Galway Bay Porter, or an 8 Degrees Brewing porter, or… one of the many other actual Irish porters or stouts or ales that Diageo would love to drive out of business…
Agreed- it’s beautiful and a mile better than anything Diageo sell. Great to see more Irish brewers appearing, although our licensing laws are scandalous. Young guys here would be arrested for trying to do a brew dog- I.e. Start selling craft beer at farmers markets. Costs 70k for a license apparently. In the UK your local council can give you a license for a nominal charge.
Also I’ve been hearing stories about the tactics used by big brands to keep the craft beers out of pubs, which is a shame.
If a tobacco company tried the same advertising technique, how quickly would it be banned? Benson & Hedges Day anyone? Smoke sensibly?
Give up yer auld corporate phoney promotions Diageo.
Why? They’re both Heineken brands. Heineken is just another Diageo.
If you want Irish beers, visit beoir.org – there are dozens of delicious stouts, ales and lagers available made by small craft brewers that are actually Irish owned and run – all money involved stays in the Irish economy.
Anton, thanks for that link. When I first visited Ireland 12 years ago, and then moved here a bit over 3 years ago, I have to say one of the most surprising things to me about the pubs was that most (but not all thankfully) seem to only have to same 5 or 6 beers on tap. I had for some reason thought that Ireland would have a bigger variety of craft beers on tap and generally more support. Then someone told me that everyone sells what Diageo tells them to. I’ve found a lot of great Irish craft beers in bottles, would be nice to see them on tap in the pubs, and would be nice to walk into different pubs and see some variety each place. But I guess if you’re just trying to drink your face off, then this might not matter.
You’re welcome :-) Yes, most off-licences will have a decent range of bottled Irish craft beer. Getting it in pubs and restaurants is harder, but in Dublin at least, it’s getting easier. 12 years ago there was just the Porterhouse and the Bull and Castle (if they were even open then?) – now there are three Porterhouse pubs, the Bull and Castle, WJ Kavanagh’s, L Mulligan the Grocers in Stoneybatter, Against The Grain, the Black Sheep, Brewdock, the Beerhouse, JW Sweetman… and they’re just the craft beer pubs I can think of offhand; many other pubs will have a tap or two of craft beer, or at least bottles, along with the generic tasteless yellow fizzy lager and other assorted Diageo/Heineken crap.
Outside the big cities, it’s harder, but with local craft brewers springing up all over the place, hopefully in a few years you’ll be able to get at least one local ale in most pubs.
Exactly. I can’t understand why people get offended by same. It’s good for tourism, musicians and it creates a buzz around the city. The way some people go on you’d swear Diageo were trying to brainwash people. Enjoy it for what it is.
I’m always amazed how a commercial drinks company can get the country to celebrate their brand and allocate a day to do it. What is even more astounding is that people participate in it and by doing so, fully support it. Well done Christy! Where are the politicians? They are quite rightly quick to condemn toddlers in tiaras affecting 100 people but very slow to condemn this ridiculous day affecting 10000′s
It’s hard not to have anything to do with it when ambluance calls are up 30% and our streets become littered with filth and vomit for a day or so afterwards. The stereotype of the drunken paddy is further enforced worldwide.
It’s not a harmless day of people having harmless fun. The negative effects of this day affect all of us even if we choose to ignore the celebrations.
Wow people really take life too seriously, it’s a bit of a laugh and Craic and an excuse to get out of the house for a few drinks and listening to some live music and shout stupid slogans! People do the same thing every Saturday, what’s the big deal? Just because one of the best marketing teams in the world have pulled it out of the bag again
The problem is it doesn’t happen on a Saturday, meaning all of the usual effects of mass alcoholism – increased hospital visits, for example – happen in the middle of that particular week as well as at the weekend. People aren’t begrudging anyone their fun; they’re begrudging Diageo’s manipulative marketing techniques.
Totally agree, but if it was another company like Cadburys promoting a night out for people to listen to live music – would there be outcry that they are promoting obesity ?
Our drinking habits and their change rest closer to home …. not one night promoted by Diageo
Well you could argue Peter, and I do, that Arthur’s Day is such a symbol of all that is messed up with our relationship to alcohol and alcohol marketing that for our own societal evolution and self esteem we actively have to ditch it.
Rob, I take €3.7bn in costs to the Irish economy annually due to alcohol seriously. I take having my Irishness hijacked and redefined by drink marketers seriously. I take the damage inflicted on folks by Arthur’s Day and the culture it promotes seriously. If you don’t, that’s fine, be the marketers’ tool.
How gullible as a nation we are. Very well orchestrated by diageo and their marketing people. Our taxes will pay for the hospital bills and clean up charge as well. I know on that particular day they won’t get a cent from me. Hope everybody else also refrains.
The music aspect of this event is a great idea and for most is the main draw. Seeing a famous band or artist play in your local pub is a memory to cherish forever. But 4 years on I can’t seriously believe that any sane people would still fall for the gimmick of “toasting” Arthur at 6pm. If Diageo really cared about the “cultural” aspect then they should rebrand it as a Live Music Day, there is no reason whatsoever we should continue to popularise a brand of alcohol by pretending that Arthur was some sort of saint. What image does it send to tourists of Irish people worshipping an alcohol company? Why don’t you interview tourists on the night to see what they think of the whole charade? Also it should be moved to Friday or Saturday instead of promoting another unnecessary night of drinking.
Tourists don’t have to live in Ireland and pay, through their taxes, for the already overburdened health services that struggle to deal with a random midweek night of boozing.
For f*cks sake its not often we have free music and a good buzz around town for a day! If nothing else it gives us that and we could do with more of that!
Actually, if you look hard enough, you can find a good buzz and free music in town every day. Go to Tower Records on a Friday evening. Go to any pub between Eden Quay and Camden Street any day of the week and you’ll find that. Walk down South William Street on a Friday at half 5. Stroll down Grafton street on a Saturday afternoon. What about culture night? That had NOTHING to do with a brand and it celebrate Ireland’s fruitful culture, largely for free. Dublin is heaving with culture 24/7 it’s just a shame that some people don’t see it unless it is shoved in their face by a global brand.
4/20 is an old stoner reference to the perfect time to smoke weed. Thus April 20th is a sacred day in many a stoner’s calendar where we celebrate all things good in the world, smoke some weed, eat some bacon and gwnerally have a good time without hurting anyone.
To blaze up at 4:20pm on 4/20 is truly one of life’s most invredible feelings.
Ya can’t please this nation at all because they don’t want Irish based products making money yet give out about the Irish economy and the fact there is no jobs. A campaign like this helps this company make money to create jobs whilst putting Ireland on the map also and keeping us in the hearts and minds of the world as a great country to come visit which only further helps Ireland’s economic growth.
And most of all…..it’s just a bit of Craic. I think Arthur’s day is a good laugh and very good marketing idea for Guinness and so what?
That’s all well and good, but the only Irish thing about Guinness is that it is produced in Ireland… It is controlled by a British company, and it’s most likely that all their profits are extracted out of Ireland… We have a lot more better things to put us on the map than this in my opinion
Back to a previous comment, if you want to go out and have ‘The Craic’ and still support genuine Irish companies creating and supporting Irish jobs order one an Irish craft beer.
Before anyone asks, I have no link to any beer company, Irish or otherwise
well that and the fact that Authur Guinness and his family were Irish.
also did you know that Stephens Green was donated to the state (after a full restoration) by the Guinness family.
the Guinness family were doing philanthropy before it was trendy to do so and although Authur’s Day clearly is a marketing ploy by a MNC that own the Guinness brand.. there is no harm in remembering an Irish pioneer of craft beer and industry and thoughtful self-directed philanthropy.
Yup, correct, Arthur was a Methodist and genuinely believed in doing social good for the ‘common man’ within the constraints of social thinking at the time.
What we have now with Diageo and the Arthur Guinness Fund is essentially a multi-national corporation clapping itself on the back and expecting us to do the same for chucking a few euros in its own charity and getting huge marketing benefits as a result.
That’s not the worst idea in the universe! Small breweries can provide employment and a better tasting product than the Megacashboozeco corporations like Diageo. Craft beers are hugely popular in the UK and don’t appear to be abused in the same way as the big brewers’ products.
Alcohol keeps the people passive, quiescent, disengaged from social and political activism and content merely to whinge about bad government and bad governance.
I thought it was a clever interesting idea the first year as it was the 250th anniversary. Since then I just see it as diageo seeing us as a sales mans dream buying into any excuse to drink.
I don’t think people are giving Arthur’s Day fans enough credit. Everyone knew it was a marketing ploy from day one! What’s with the all the Emperor’s Clothes style revelations a whole 4 years later?!
I don’t partake and I’m not coming out on one side or the other, I just can’t believe how people are going on like the marketing aspect is some kind of important and hitherto unknown discovery, and that people are fools who need to be enlightened!
The worse part of it is seeing some total spanner who doesn’t even drink Guinness pictured holding up a pint with a big mad grin on his face roaring ‘To A****r’.
The musicians and the music used to promote Guinness Day has been expertly data mined by The company under the guise of the arthur guinness projects campaign.
3 million Euro was used as a carrot to get musicians, artists, food operations and sports people to divulge their fan base, support base and supporters to the A G marketing machine so they could better understand what made people support and encourage art, music, food operations and sports.
The reward to the punters will only be revealed on Guinness Day and as far as I understand from my friends in the music business, most of the “vote for me once a day” campaigns have not managed to attract the hoped for funding.
Guinness Day should be seen for what it is. A marketing machine appealing to the weak willed, by the insensitive, for the purpose of profit. And no other reason.
Hey its like any event in the Irish calendar, We’ll go on the razz for the opening of an envelope, its what we do and always have done. It’s clever marketing by diageo and at least initially is a good evenin out! Toss off Christy Moore, he took his craic off the booze like anyone else and if anythin it made him and his career. So take a hike with your tea an bizkits…I for one am gonna be f’d up!
To Arthur!!
True dat… sure his song delerium tremens is like a comedic ode to alcohol. I respect Moore and he is battling alcoholism so his position is understandable but it does seem like the few trying to spoil it for the many. If you don’t like Arthurs day then don’t go out… prob solved
I although you may think everyone has free will and can decide whether to take part in Arthur’s Day, the reality is many people are socially pressured into drinking more than they need or want to. Corporations like Diageo know this full well and take full advantage of it.
Er, problem not solved. Alcohol related problems are costing the economy an estimated €3.7bn annually and we spend around €5bn on booze so no way does the tax generated cover the cost. So who’s ruining what for who and what exactly are we celebrating?
We go on the razz because we are constantly subtly and not so subtly told to go on the razz by the drinks industry. They spend over €70m between advertising and sponsorship in Ireland each year – why do you think they are doing that if the Irish have some in-built fondness for getting plastered that people in other countries don’t have?
The idea that the Irish drink is one manufactured by the drinks industry, not the Irish.
Nobody forces anyone to put a drink to their mouths. Christy Moore is an insufferable advocate for all things PC. Although he is entitled to his opinion, I think diageo must be thrilled with him. The PR he had engendered is priceless, and there is no such thing as bad publicity. Christy should have thought that one through.
Unfortunately whenever you criticise anything you generate more publicity for it. But that’s the price Christy Moore pays for having a conscience. Fair play to him for speaking out.
My band are playing twice on A**h***s Day, same last year & the year before, most of the bands i know have a gig (or two) on a fairly uninteresting thursday in September.
Christy Moore doesn’t need the money, I do.
Sick of all this moaning, it’s marketing scam like everything else, that’s how these people roll.
You don’t like it?, don’t support it.
If people go out & get so pissed they end up in hospital or starting fights, that’s their own immaturity, learn how to drink.
Let’s just ban alcohol.
Let’s boycott New Years Eve & Paddy’s Day.
Boo f**king hoo.
I’m still laughing at Christy Moore giving out about alcohol!!! How many of his own songs mention and celebrate drink, it’s wonderful effects and the many brands he has sampled! How many concerts did we attend, with him perched on stage in a pool of beer and spirit sweat!!!!What a knob!(even if I do love his music!)
I lived on south William street the very first year Arthur’s day happened. I was in work and in my way home had to pick my way through near-unconscious people lying in the rubbish bags along the street and even on the steps to my apartment. This was at 5 in the day. I’ve avoided it ever since.
I’d be more inclined to take the opinion of someone who has seen the rough end of alcohol seriously over the self serving spin of Diageo and their marketers any day Martin.
Fact is, what he says is actually backed up by hard data from independent scientific research – he nailed the issue in that song.
Pt 2. sed. Maybe you already know these facts and are quite satisfied as that all is well as far as responsible use goes. However, all evidence, empirical and anecdotal, would encourage one to believe that there is precious little so called responsible use of your product. I believe that your product/s are regularly and systematically abused by the majority of your consumers and that, in fact, this abuse is encouraged by you through slick marketing and clever promotion. One only has to think of that marketing whizz ‘Arthur’s Day’ to understand that the relentless pushing of your product, while at the same time paying lip service to ‘responsible’ drinking, is in fact your main concern. I further believe that it is the same slick marketing that is behind the oblique phrase ‘responsible drinking’ leaving as it does, the whole notion of safe drinking open to interpretation. For example, if I drink twelve pints of your product every night of the week but never beat up my wife I can convince myself that I am a responsible drinker. It seems to me that if you were truly interested in your product only being used responsible then you would at least promote the message that 7-8 pints of your product is the most anyone should drink in a week. But of course, we both know you’d never do this for if your product was consumed in such ‘responsible’ quantities you’d go out of business. Yours, Declan Fitzpatrick, Dir. Merrion Therapy Service, Dublin 2.
People, including Christy Moore, have a choice, either go & celebrate it (You actually don’t have to consume alcohol????), or not???? Stop jumping on the “Anti Corporation-Anti Alcohol” bandwagon & mind your own business!!!
He also has a choice not to keep silent about things he cares about. Maybe he doesn’t like a massive drinks corporation taking a nation of alcoholics for a ride and causing an increase in drinking and all the consequences that go with it (injuries, for example), all the while masking it as some sort of ‘cultural event’.
Marty, I don’t want to go and celebrate this made-up occasion. I don’t want any part of it. I do however, wish to attend my course next Thursday evening in Temple Bar, without having to avoid aggressive drunks and dodge the vomit on the pavement – like last year. It was truly chaos last year and I can only hope it will get less popular and less people will be out for it this year.
The problem with Arthurs Day isn’t that it’s an event ran by a drinks promoter that is promoting alcohol, that’s what all the brands do, if you go to say Oxegen, you’ll only be able to buy Heineken or related drinks the brand owns.
The key here is that
1) People seem to think that if they go out on Arthurs Day they must obey social groups and drink Guinness, the pubs don’t stop serving other brand, why not drink what you want.
2) People start drinking at 6pm and drink hard all night. Again I don’t understand this, by the time your favourite act comes on you could be blotto. Why can people not go out an have 3 or 4 drinks and go home merry of a Thursday.
3) Irish people seem incapable of going out and not drinking. For such a “social” people we require a lot of social lubricant just to go out and enjoy an evening of music. Why not go out and enjoy the great music without drinking. That’s going to hit an alcohol brand far harder in the pocket.
If people start taking more responsibility for their own actions and stopped blaming Guinness for an advertising campaign or Coke for putting a name on a bottle as the reason they go and mindlessly buy products, we’d have a far better society. Nobody is making you go out of a Thursday night. Nobody is making you buy Guinness. If you think for yourself and act sensibly, you can have a good night, not line the pockets of Diageo and not end up in A&E.
Well said but the haters here have to blame everyone else for their issues with life and mascarade it as doing good for society. I know they will claim I’m ignorant for my view but you know what – I don’t care.
Email I sent to Diageo on Friday Pt! Dear Sir/Madam, I am pleased to note that your company promotes what you call ‘Responsible Drinking’. I am at a loss however to understand just what this means. I notice this phrase is tagged onto the end of all alcohol advertising and for some time have speculated as to just what is meant by it. Also, I wonder why that particular phrase is used. I mean, could not a more specific wording be found to advise people on just how much alcohol they should drink. There are of course medical guidelines as to the ‘safe’ use of alcohol for men and women – is that what you mean by ‘responsible’. As we all know there is a near epidemic of alcohol abuse in Ireland and many expert commentators in the field of addiction claim that the problem is getting worse. It would appear therefore that your message is not getting through, but perhaps that’s naive of me. One sure way to find out I suppose would be to examine your profits. Surely you would know from your sales figures whether or not your consumers are using your product ‘responsibly’. For example, if we assume that by responsible drinking you mean sticking to the medical advice – 21 units (7-8 pints) for men and 14 units (4-5 pints) for women per week – then your sales figures, based on the number of adults using your product – and I’m sure your excellent marketing people can provide those – would indicate just how responsible or otherwise your product is being used. cont…..
Once again the kill-joy anti everything that’s not their agenda crowd are winning over complaining because people actually enjoy this. Here a big tip if you don’t like Arthur’s day stay at home. The fact the journal even have this article written in the way it is shows how lazy the media and journalists in Ireland are. Did ye all have the same lazy lecturer? The majority of Irish people are fed up with this liberal PC agenda but not one journalist I have read reflects that. We don’t need a revolution against our politicians we need it against the pretenders of journalists
Time we had an Incitement to Intoxication Act, making Diageo 100% liable for all medical and psychiatric costs to the community generated by their products. Yes, 100% liablity, plus possible punitive damages, fines etc. Die Diageo, Die!
I love Christy’s newest well-observed rendition! There’s no question that Arthur’s Day is a well formulated marketing activity sponsored by one of the world’s biggest drinks companies.
However, this day is an opportunity to showcase Dublin providing the city with a reason to attract visitors to its pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops!
Rather than looking for reasons to knock an event we should actually be glad to have as part of our annual events listing we should be talking about the core issue – the relationship between the Irish and their drink. If this event was held anywhere else in the world the treat of great bands and
musicians on one’s doorstep would be enjoyed alongside a sociable intake of alcohol. Having travelled to other European cities, San Sebastián most recently, it is clear that cities can celebrate with back to back city events (with alcohol consumption) without negative publicity around anti-social behaviour or hospital admissions.
Dublin must compete for visitors with cities far prettier, cleaner & safer than ours. Our people, our nightlife and our culture are among the key reasons people visit & like Dublin over other locations. We need more events like Arthur’s Day, not less.
Should we curtail all social activities because of a minority who cannot handle their alcohol intake? Should we continue to watch Dublin homogenise before our eyes to the cry of conservatism repeatedly wheeled out to fix deeper issues – ineffective parenting and policing?
What’s the big deal it’s just a day to break up the norm. Yes it’s just a big commercial ploy but then so is valentines paddy’s Christmas ect. but just use it as a excuse to get all your mates together, and if you don’t normally drink Guinness then don’t. If we dedicate a day to making pancakes I don’t see why we can’t dedicated a day to having a piss up!
Did anyone ever see that Simpsons episode in which marketing executives try and conjure up a fake holiday in order to get money, and then they come up with the idea of ‘love day’…Arthurs day is essentially our love day.
All in the name of a bit a craic!!!!
Should be called ‘national alcoholics day’ cut the crap! Are the marketing monkeys finished with the drinking irish and ….’lets get drunk its St. Paddy’s day’?..this arthur day is just an enabler for one more alcoholic to get out of the house and down the pub!
“Arthur’s Day” – my arse!!
Diageo’s cynical marketing ploy is simply an embarrassment to the nation. It’s reinforcing negative stereotypes of pissed-up paddies to the rest of the world, who are laughing AT us, not with us. Ha, Ha!! Drunken Irish, no wonder they can’t run their finances etc etc.
This is another example of our people being f***ed by a big money corporation. Enough, already.
Its Arthurs day, drink puke, shame memory loss, broken families soaken in a booze filled day. Hurray, great. Its Arthurs day. People are only learning that the other 364 days of the year is known as F#ck Arthurs day. Pass it on.
I have no love for Guinness and them being synonymous with Ireland. They play up to the Irishness when it suits them, specifically when we trot out a pint of the black shhhtufff for visiting dignitaries.
Remember the Guinness Hurling ad from some years ago? If there ever was evidence that Guinness could not give a hoot about their feigned Irishness, the hurler taking the free wasn’t even Irish, with no history of Irish ancestry, and had to be trained to hold the hurley. We have a country full of GAA players, and they couldn’t find one guy or girl to take a free in front of a camera?
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