Beer ‘as much of a dietary staple as bread’ in 16th century Ireland

She found that ale and beer were viewed as a vital source of calories and nutrition, and were consumed in incredible quantities.

Records from January 1565 show that stone masons working at a quarry in Clontarf, near Dublin, were provided with an allowance of 14 pints of ale per day by the proctor of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.

And documents from Dublin Castle showed that the household staff consumed 264,000 pints of beer in 1590, which averaged up to eight pints each per day – a similar amount to what was typically consumed in England in this period.

By examining contemporary accounts, Dr Flavin calculated that 16th century beer had a high calorific value, providing between 400-500 calories per pint, compared to 180-200 calories for a pint of modern bitter.

Beers typically had a high oat content, as barley proved difficult to grow in Ireland's wet climate, and most would not have been weak.

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As part of the next stage of her research, she hopes to recreate 16th Century Irish ales and beers from the original recipes and examine their nutritional value.

        The beer's high oat content would have produced a bitter and thick, creamy drink.

Great! We need more findings like this!!