Whinging Publicans

Good post, The Banker.
IMHO the publicans/ Vintners Federation have ALWAYS whinged, in good times and bad!
 
I don't think whinging is exclusive to publicans given the amount of whinging thats going on about them and prices.
 
Farmers are at least as good if not better at whinging than publicans (which is really saying something)..
 
Farmers are at least as good if not better at whinging than publicans (which is really saying something)..

I remember back in the late 70's, there was some competition looking for the most unlikely newspaper headline. One of the many entries was something like "Paisley and Pope Have Tea Together" but the winning entry simply read, "Farmers Are Happy!"
 
Excellent post by 'The Banker' - it strikes a cord with me and both my parents are non-drinkers!

I know of one pub in a tiny village which used to have no problem serving pints all night to fifteen year olds. They were 'grooming' a good steady source of income for the future. They had no excuse that they were not aware of the underage drinkers since their daughter was in the same class! Happily the pub closed a couple of years ago.

I look forward to the day when advertising alcohol is banned in the same way that advertising cigarettes was. Its strange that alcohol companies are allowed to sponsor sporting events considering the fact that alcohol is not included in the training regime of most sporting teams!

I do enjoy the occasional tipple but it's not a high priority in my life.
 
I just went back and read The Banker's post again. It's definitely one of the best I've seen posted by anyone on AAM!

Very thought provoking and..................true!
 
I

The Irish pub in about wasted lives and making money. Nothing more, nothing less.
Hear, hear. They are legalised drug dealers, no more. 50% less pubs in Ireland would be a good start. I'm sorry for anyone who loses their job, but that business just isn't sustainable.
 
It's true that the pub has played a central role in Irish society and people think they have gotten too big for their boots but, to be fair, pubs have had many positive effects.

I have been in pubs where the trade union I've been a member of has been given free use of a room to hold a meeting in, no charge and maybe only one pint per head drunk in the hour that we were there.

There have been numerous examples of power cuts, floods, local disasters where people have converged on the local pub and been given shelter and warmth.

I just think that in the past few years, as with a lot of things in Irish life, it has become more money focussed. Everything is computerised. Many publicans have tried to give as little possible while charging as much possible. As a result the relationship between service provider and customer has changed. People used to be proud of their pubs. They'd have darts teams and golf societies. It is less so nowadays.

I have gone into pubs in Ireland and tried to strike up a conversation with people I don't know and been looked at like I have two heads. The pub is no longer a welcoming place with the drinkers on the same side as the landlord.

Another thing to be remembered is that the cost of drink from supermarkets and off licenses is now a fraction of what it was ten years ago. People used to drink more in pubs because it was maybe 50% more than the price of a can then. Now it is 400% the price of a can or more.

As with most post-Celtic Tiger changes, I will be glad to see a return to more traditional values. Those who persist with their €12 carveries doling out only a scrap, prices increasing by the hour for drinks and €6.50 for a pint of Coke will gradually disappear.

By the way, great post Banker.
 
Publicans like farmers always talk the poor mouth.

Heres another example of how mean publicans are. The makers of Bulmers cider recently Mr Dunsmore also revealed that 80pc of on-trade outlets, including pubs and hotels, have passed on just seven percentage points of a recently introduced 10pc decrease in the price of its pints.Of course very few passed on the 10% cut in full. They just pocketed the the money! What a major surprise!

From the Independent:


Mr Dunsmore also revealed that 80pc of on-trade outlets, including pubs and hotels, have passed on just seven percentage points of a recently introduced 10pc decrease in the price of its pints.

Beneficial

"I would not describe our customers as profiteering," said Mr Dunsmore when asked if publicans should have passed on the full saving. "It would be beneficial for everyone involved for that decrease to be passed on in full, but we can't dictate the retail price," he added.
 
Publicans like farmers always talk the poor mouth.

Heres another example of how mean publicans are. The makers of Bulmers cider recently Mr Dunsmore also revealed that 80pc of on-trade outlets, including pubs and hotels, have passed on just seven percentage points of a recently introduced 10pc decrease in the price of its pints.Of course very few passed on the 10% cut in full. They just pocketed the the money! What a major surprise!

From the Independent:


Mr Dunsmore also revealed that 80pc of on-trade outlets, including pubs and hotels, have passed on just seven percentage points of a recently introduced 10pc decrease in the price of its pints.

Beneficial

"I would not describe our customers as profiteering," said Mr Dunsmore when asked if publicans should have passed on the full saving. "It would be beneficial for everyone involved for that decrease to be passed on in full, but we can't dictate the retail price," he added.

Well, to play devil's advocate, possibly by not passing on the saving, the pubs have not had to put the prices up.

Really, I am not concerned by how much publicans pay for anything. Simply how much it costs me.
 
While the bankers post seems to have struck a chord with many here, some of it seems out of kilter with my understanding of Irish pubs. First to say they are about making money is stating the obvious as they employ staff and are a business, secondly to say they are about wasted lives is a bit dramatic and misses the whole social aspect that many of us enjoy. Many great nights and landmarks have been celebrated in pubs. sure there are wasters who spend there entire lives on a bar stool, close the pub and they can do the same thing sitting at home, what changes?
I know plenty of publicans who take the aul fellas home, sometimes make sure they get some dinner etc.
Some seem to still get a little hung up on the stigma that the Irish are big drinkers etc but I hope that we have all grown up enough not to care about stereotypes and live our own lives as we please.
 
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