CELEBRITY gardener Diarmuid Gavin says Ireland is the hardest place in the world to ditch the booze.
The Dubliner, 53, quit drinking after the birth of beloved daughter Eppie in December 2004.
Speaking on RTE's Cutting Edge, Diarmuid said: "I lived in London for ten years, had a ball, but then I became a parent and decided 'Well this is a different life'.
"With the family, I wanted to be present in every moment.
"It doesn’t mean you are going to be a great dad but just that you are going to be there and fully aware, and you’d wake up on a Saturday morning fresh - fresh for whatever, but fresh."
Apart from the occassional glass of wine, Diarmuid has stayed teetotal for almost 14 years.
Nevertheless, he said it's been a difficult task to socialise as a non-drinker in Ireland.
Everything changes and initially everything is awful, and of course you become a bore with everybody," he said.
"You stop socialising".
'Arseways'
Dr Ciara Kelly, who also appeared on the show, agreed that non-drinkers endure social stigma in Ireland.
She told host Brendan O'Connor: "Ireland is the only country where we refer to teetotallers as 'probably an alcoholic' whereas we refer to heavy drinkers as 'ah he likes a drink'.
"It’s the lads who don’t drink rather than the lads who sink pints who we refer as alcoholics.
"And we don’t trust them. It’s really hard to socialise in Ireland as a non-drinker.
"We have it all arseways, it’s totally backwards to what it should be."
Dr Kelly admitted to enjoying a glass of wine or two, but added that she always tries to drink "mindfully".
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