I was taken aback several times when I would see little children (5 or 6 years old) sitting in some of the pubs with their parents. There was no food being served. Mum and Dad were simply enjoying a pint of Smithwick's or Murphy's before walking on home for the evening.
No one raised a stir, no one was concerned that the children were being corrupted. It's just the way things are done there. No big deal. Their attitudes towards alcohol are simply different.