Almost 90 per cent of GAA players struggle to moderate their alcohol consumption, according to an Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report released today.
Over recent years 'drinking bans' have become increasingly prevalent as club and county outfits seek glory at various levels. However, it appears that these initiatives may be contributing to alcohol-related issues during the respective off-seasons.
The report, which conducted a study among intercounty athletes, says:
The proportion of senior inter-county players who consume alcohol is similar to the general male population of the same age.
However, they tend to consume higher quantities of alcohol when they do drink. This is particularly the case during the pre-season and off-season. Nearly nine-out-of-ten players reported binge-drinking during the off-season.
It has become a topic a number of current and former intercounty players have addressed given many had predicted much of what the ESRI report states. In a wide-ranging interview with the Irish Independent in 2017, for example, Joe Canning claimed that GAA players and managers were struggling to find the right balance in relation in alcohol consumption.
"The culture in the GAA is for lads to go on the piss for a day or two after a big game," explained the 2017 Hurler of the Year.
And that's totally wrong for your body and for your mind. They end up sick for nearly a week afterwards because they feel they have to go ballistic.
I'm not for a second recommending a drink culture, but the balance is so wrong. You're always kind of on edge now when you're out. You're almost paranoid. And that's wrong too.
Speaking to Game On on 2FM last year, Laois manager Eddie Brennan expressed similar sentiments.
"There is a regime out there now which sometimes I feel is over the top," he said.
And more and more lads are asking, 'What's in it for me?' But if you are willing to make sacrifices, to do all that training and feel there is a definite goal to aim at, no matter where you are in the pecking order, then it's easier to put in that hard slog. If you turn around and tell adults that you can't drink for six months, then you have a problem.
2016 Footballer of the Year Lee Keegan also addressed the issue earlier this year by making comparisons between GAA and rugby.
"I always look at professional sports and particularly rugby," he said. "They have their few beers after their game and they train two days later and perform at the highest level the week after.
It's part and parcel of life. If you can't enjoy life with a bit of success or even if you lose to have a few beers with your mates, that's part of sport and you have to have that as well.
There has to be a balance, if you are always locked into GAA, what is there out there for yourself?
Meanwhile, the ESRI report also revealed that around 25 per cent of players choose a career path after second level education that facilitates their intercounty GAA aspirations, while 80 per cent of players struggle to juggle their sporting and study commitments.
In addition, while approximately 90 per cent of players take supplements and are recommended to do so, in a worrying development many source supplements outside the intercounty set-up with half of those surveyed claiming supplement-use is not monitored.
