Did people think it was crazy for a recovering addict to take on a pub business? Ryan Tubridy put the question to former Galway hurler Davy Glennon, who has spoken in the past about his gambling addiction and the impact it's had on his life. Davy was released from the Galway Senior Hurling panel in February and he told Ryan he’s delighted that he had a plan B in place:

"With sport, I knew coming down the line, you know, there would come one day that you're not needed. And you had to move on and I needed an outlet. And obviously that day did come there in February when I was released from the Galway Senior panel. And thankfully, it's one of the better decisions I've ever made, November, to open the bar, to have that outlet."

Regarding the challenges posed by an environment where alcohol, sport and betting often converge, Davy says he went into it with his eyes open and taking on the pub has confirmed his faith in his own abilities:

"I like a challenge. You know, if I wanted to hop into my car and drive into a bookie's, no one was going to stop me. And it was the same thing as, I suppose, I needed to put trust in myself to say, 'I'm able to do this.' And like, I had to move on with my life."

All was well until the lockdown, and the current pausing of his business is a challenge for Davy, he says. He says he's found ways of coping and looking for help himself, but he feels for other people struggling with a gambling addiction at the moment. Mix lockdown, boredom with financial insecurity together and the recovering gambler could end up chasing an 'easy' way to make the money worries go away:

"You're looking down the line going, maybe financially am I going to be struggling to pay these bills? Is my business going to be as good as what it was? And some people are thinking, a quick buck, maybe click of a button. There's so much online."

Ryan asked had Davy ever been close to reviving his old habits? Davy says no, it hasn't happened:

"I have done my treatment. Every day is a vulnerable day for me. But there are days where you might have to pick up the phone and ring your sponsor, ring someone that you can trust, someone that can relate to what you're actually talking about. "

Davy says he relies on his friends to get him through some of the tougher moments.

"I have close friends that I can pick up the phone and talk to. Sometimes they mightn't know that I'm ringing them for the reason I'm ringing them; a normal conversation to get me over that five minutes or ten minutes or half an hour that I need to get over and by having a chat with them is a big relief to me."

Davy Glennon talks about the impact of gambling on the people around an addict, his views on the virtual Grand National, and the constant nature of online betting advertising and more in the full interview with Ryan Tubridy here.

If you're affected by any of the issues raised in Ryan's chat with Davy Glennon, you can contact Gamblers Anonymous (GA) for support on 087 748 5878 (10am-10pm).

GA have audio meetings every day at 1pm and most evenings at 8pm, to find out more on (01) 9079710.

Ruth Kennedy