Anton McNulty
Mayo’s drinkers can take comfort that while they enjoy a pint as good as the next person they are no means the biggest boozers in the country, although they are in Connacht.
The results of an online survey shows that people in Mayo spend on average nearly €1,900 per year on alcohol. Men spend significantly more with the survey revealing they spend €2,067 while woman are more cautious spending €1,713.
The research carried out by Aviva Health Insurance as part of Alcohol Awareness Month also revealed that men in Ireland consume an average of 12 alcohol units per week and women an average of nine.
People in Dublin and Louth drink the most alcohol, consuming an average of 12 units per week and spending €2,113 and €2,136 per year respectively. In Mayo we consume an average of ten units per week, counties Carlow, Donegal, Kerry, Laois, Roscommon and Tipperary were found to consume the lowest level of alcohol at nine units per week.
Given the average pint of beer contains two units of alcohol, people living in Mayo are consuming approximately five pints of beer or ten glasses of wine per week. This is nearly twice the recommended level of one glass of red wine per day that has been found to have modest health benefits.
The statistics for this research were collected via the Aviva Online Health Check which was completed by 20,043 people between December 2008 and April 2011 and involved respondents answering a series of questions on their health and lifestyle habits.
Drink Habits in the West of Ireland
County Average alcohol spend per annum
Galway €1,687
Leitrim €1,833
Mayo €1,859
Roscommon €1,608
Sligo €1,807
