The London Times has a story for the “Obvious” file (or the “Racist Slur” file, if you’re the sort who likes to deny ethnic generalizations that are generally true): “Irish splash most in the EU on booze.”

The timing of the story’s appearance Saturday would seem to suggest a willingness on the UK Times’ part to confirm Roger Cohen’s embittered judgment of Ireland as an historically ”beer-soaked backwater” in the New York Times last Thursday — a rant inspired by the island nation’s recent vote rejecting Brussels’ supranational power grab. Somehow, I suspect the Irish will survive Cohen’s criticism, and remain stout of heart.

Irish families are spending more of their income on alcohol than any other country in the EU, according to an analysis of the household budgets of the 27 member states. While Irish spending on housing, health and clothing is slightly below the EU average, its citizens spend three and a half times more than the average on alcohol. Drink accounts for 4.1% of household spending, compared with an EU average of 1.2%, according to the European Commission study. Romania and Lithuania are in second and third place, with 2.3% and 2.2% of their incomes respectively spent on alcohol. The UK’s expenditure on drink is 1.4%, with Germany on 1%. Six countries – including Spain, Italy and Portugal – spend less than 1%.

Now, wouldn’t it be helpful to have some indication of the average price of a half-liter of beer in these other EU countries? Just so we know we’re comparing apples and apples? But no matter.

Few Irish would disagree that they are fond of a drink. The pub has a central place in the social life of Irish towns and villages. It’s the place to go for story and song. That’s where the craic is. And the dark bitter beverage they serve there is not espresso.

But there’s an eye-opening line tucked away in the middle of the London Times piece: “While the proportion of income spent on alcohol has fallen over the past decade, the amount of money spent on it has increased.” So because the Celtic Tiger’s low corporate-tax rates have fueled job creation and a steady rise in household incomes, the Irish have been able to spend, in absolute terms, more of their Euros on drink — but proportionately less of those rising incomes. Seems to me that there’s your story: “Irish Discretionary Income Soars — Not All of It Spent on Guinness.” Beer-soaked? Maybe. Economic backwater? No — not as long as they avoid the NYT and EU’s favored tax policies.

Finally, there’s the photo:

Hmm. So maybe this is Limerick or some other Viking-influenced Irish town where blondes abound. But isn’t that a mass of Spaten in this woman’s hand? And another one right behind her? And come to think of it, isn’t that a dirndl she’s wearing? The Times of London does a piece about how the Irish outdrink everyone in Europe, and the best they can do to illustrate it is a picture from an Oktoberfest biergarten?