KNOWN for their love of the craic, which usually translates as dancing and downing pints of Guinness, Irish people are famed throughout the world as great drinkers.

But the Government is now so con-cerned about the early deaths of Irish people living in the south-west that it is meeting to discuss how to deal with the problem.

The Department of Health is holding a lecture for health experts from across the UK in London this week.

They are concerned that Irish immi-grants and their descendants are more likely to suffer from mental illness, smoke too much and consume higher levels of alcohol than the general popu-lation.

Mick O'Dea, 45, who runs the Gaelic football team the Swindon Shamrocks, says that of the borough's young Irish men who do drink too much, many do so through loneliness as the town has nowhere for them to meet and socialise.

"I've had a lot of boys join the team who've come over from Ireland to work. They're basically split between the professional boys working in IT, who are your strictly no smoking and orange squash-only types, to some of the farm boys or boys from around the Irish ports who enjoy a drink.

"Of the boys who end up drinking too much, I would say it's largely down to loneliness. There is no Irish club in Swindon and what's there to do when you come home from work to an empty house, other than go to the pub?"

Mary Devaney, 50, has been the landlady of the Castle Hotel, one of Swindon's five Irish pubs, for 17 years. She says the majority of her drinkers are social drinkers, and that the image of the Irishman as a drunk is an out-dated stereotype.

She said: "I have many Irish regulars but they don't fall down drunk every night as some people think. I think there is a minority who drink too much, but that's the same in every culture.

"My Irish regulars are sociable people who enjoy a social drink. Most of them come here on a Sunday when I have Irish music and would only drink heavily on a special occasion like a wedding or a party."

As well as older Irish regulars, Mary caters for many younger second generation Irish people, but says they are also more sociable drinkers than drunken louts.

"I wouldn't say they were worse than other youngsters. They like a drink like anyone else, but they don't generally overdo it."

The Office of National Statistics has revealed that death rates among second generation Irish migrants living in England and Wales are 20 per cent higher than for the rest of the popu-lation.

Death rates among original Irish migrants and their children were also found to be higher than among those who remained in Ireland.

The rising death rate among young men, which bucks the general trend, can be partly explained by an increase in suicides, drug-related deaths and deaths from Aids and HIV-related illnesses.

Suicide was the second biggest cause of death after accidents, which account for 66 per cent of deaths for men aged 20 to 30.

But Mick O'Dea, from the Swindon Shamrocks, is interested to hear from anyone who would like to play Gaelic football.

He said: "Moving to England from Ireland can be isolating and lonely, but we have a great club here that young men may enjoy being part of."

Contact Mick on (01793) 520138.