Happy “Arthur’s Alcoholicday”
Anti-Arthur’s Day campaign- Wikicommons
Singer/songwriter Christy Moore is the newest addition to the Anti-Arthur’s Day movement.
The release of his new song is set to coincide with Arthur’s Day 2013, on September 26 where he voices his opinion against the event and labels it “Arthur’s Alcoholicday”.
The new single is from Moore’s upcoming album, Where I Come From, which is released on November 1.
Moore’s song comprises of lyrics such as,
“Start ’em off on Alco-Pops, tastes just like lemonade get ’em into the hit while they’re young and none the wiser,
“the medics in the ambulance’ll be workin overtime, the A&E ‘ll be like a drunk tank in the firing line.”
Earlier this year Irish-American comedian, Des Bishop, also spoke out against the highly marketed day, in his television documentary ‘Under the Influence’. The documentary addresses Ireland’s increasing dependence on alcohol.
The Irish Times has also been vocal in the past in disapproval of the event. They stated, “If St Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and Halloween are festivals that offer an excuse for a drink, Diageo has flipped the concept on its head and made drink an excuse for a festival.”
Boycott Arthur’s Day is the name given to a new social media campaign that has sparked support from Irish and International artists and musicians . Its slogan calls on Ireland to “Say NO to Diageo’s boozefest. Reject the stereotype.” The Facebook page for the campaign currently has 4,696 likes and counting.
However, as the national day of Arthur Guinness rolls into its fifth successful year it continues to gather worldwide attention and fans annually. Many of its supporters have taken the form of Irish celebrities such as Ronan Keating, and bands such as The Script.
Guinness themselves are promoting the creative aspect of Arthur’s Day, with the Guinness Storehouse set to be transformed into a “creative hub,” Stephen O’Kelly Marketing Director of Guinness said,
“Visitors will be treated to interactive design installations, culinary surprises and music performances across all seven stories. With thousands of people expected to visit throughout the day we wanted to provide a massive stage to celebrate Irish talent and creativity.”
In a separate statement the organising company, Diageo, branded the day as, “…a unique music event which has been enjoyed by millions of people in Ireland and around the globe.”
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