‘Don’t fill that cup’, says Kilkenny star hurler
The front page of the Kilkenny People from Friday, November 8, 1974 - 50 years ago this week
The front page of the Kilkenny People from Friday, November 8, 1974 - 50 years ago this week
* There should be no filling of the cup for under age competitions
* The legal limit of blood alcohol for drivers must be lowered immediately
* Co-education might prevent young people having to drink for ‘dutch courage’
* The drink industry, like the tobacco industry, should be compelled to warn about the dangers of their product
These were some of the ideas that came from a stimulating seminar on ‘breaking the round system’ at Newpark Hotel last week.
The seminar was organised by the Kilkenny Regional Council of the PTAA (Pioneer Total Abstinence Association) to launch a campaign to break the ’vicious circle’.
It was Dr Kieran Cuddihy, regional pathologist, who attacked the over generous legal limit for blood alcohol.
In Ireland, he said, the limit was 125 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. In England, only 80mg were allowed while in Scandinavia the legal limit was 50mg.
“Ireland’s figure is dangerously high and it should be brought down immediately,” he said.
A way of overcoming the rounds system was co-education, Dr Cuddihy went on. He felt that, at present, many boys and girls were unable to talk and socialise without ‘dutch courage’.
But, if they grew up in an environment where boys and girls were people to each other, they might not have to get ‘tanked up’ before meeting.
Taking up the point of drinking for courage, star Kilkenny hurler Eddie Keher said that sport could have a large role to play.
Sport helped people of all ages to accept a challenge and it cultivated real courage. He felt that young people could be encouraged more to participate in sport and if this were done much of the problem could be eliminated.
He said the power of a publicity campaign should not be underestimated.
Mr Keher criticised the traditional filling of the cup in under age competitions and said it should be totally discouraged.
Most Rev Dr Birch complimented the present Kilkenny hurling team for the example they were setting for young people.
He said that drink had always been a problem in Ireland but social changes had made the problem worse.