February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — A new survey has underlined wide-ranging changes in Irish society as more people both north and south of the border now believe going to the pub is more important than going to church.
The survey, “Irish Lifestyles: The Rise of the Immoral Majority,” found regular churchgoing is also taking second place as a priority to watching TV and videos and taking frequent vacations.
The consumer research, involving more than 2,000 adults throughout the island for the Mintel company, claims the Celtic Tiger years of record economic growth and plentiful jobs “has undermined many traditional values involving the home, family, religion, social status and leisure time.”
Regular churchgoing appears to have declined considerably north and south of the border.
Only 23 percent in the North and 22 in the South consider attending Mass to be an important part of their current lifestyle.
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Watching TV and videos, at 52 percent and 58 percent respectively for the south and north, going on frequent holidays, and going to the pub all score much higher in terms of priority in both regions.
Going to the pub at least once a week is a priority among 35 percent of those in the South, compared to only 20 percent in the North, while eating out comes in fairly evenly at 17 percent and 21 percent respectively.
Owning a flashy car and a mobile phone, being a member of a private health club and having a home computer are the new symbols of success on both sides of the border.
Traditional values of a successful marriage, children, financial security, and regular attendance at Sunday worship have all taken a back seat in many households, the survey reveals.
In the North and the South, owning a car (at 55 percent) came out ahead of home ownership and financial security.
In the South, home ownership was ranked the most important materialistic priority among six of 10 people.
“In the Republic, nearly 80 percent of households are owner-occupied, far higher than the European average and well above the 67 percent penetration of owner-occupation in the UK,” the survey found.
When questioned about purchasing patterns, during confident times, those economic purchases which rate as the most important are holidays, at 52 percent and 56 in the south and north respectively, new cars, at 39 percent and 37, and new clothes, at 29 percent and 24.