There's nothing particularly Irish here other than an interest in drinking.

Little knots of people in the street, eating and drinking, shouting at each other.

The men share a background in homicide, baseball and drinking.

But he was out of practice in drinking, and the whisky took hold with speed.

He started in drinking and didn't stop until his ectoplasm had run out.

Within two years they see a 20 percent drop in reported drinking.

But: "They're not so much interested in drinking and driving.

"This is another example of what happens when unsupervised under age children get involved in drinking."

"I remember him standing around with a cup in his hand, eating and drinking," he said.

IT has been decades since John and most of his family were caught up in drinking, but they cannot rest easy.