2,100 pubs closed over the last 20 years

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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Over 2,100 pub closures in last 20 years, report finds

More than 2,100 pubs across the country have closed since 2005, according to a new report.
www.rte.ie www.rte.ie

That represents a 25% decline.

If it's the only pub in the village, a closure would be a bad thing for the village.

But I haven't heard many people say that they can't get a drink because there are not enough pubs.

We have three pubs in Sandymount Village. I have never seen all three of them packed or even very full. One closed recently, and there is plenty of capacity in the other two pubs. Two busier pubs are better and more craic than three sparsely attended pubs. And we are in walking distance of Ringsend, Ballsbridge and the Sandymount Hotel.

Mr Foley said in the absence of Government intervention, "we are likely to see a further 600 to 1,000 pubs close over the coming decade".

Fine, people are drinking at home more. Do we have figures for the off-license industry over the last 20 years?

Or maybe, people are just drinking less anyway. Or are we moving towards a restaurant and coffee shop culture?
 
I heard recently that younger people are less likely to become drinkers and pub goers. They consume less alcohol overall and are more into health/fitness etc. There are some reports Here Here, Here, Here. This report says alcohol sales are up.

So there seems to be a shift over the last decades and pub life is no longer as important for a greater number of Irish people.
 
I think in urban area it's not so important as there will always still be plenty of them and the decline in pubs is not happening in big cities but in small rural towns.
It would be a huge loss to the social fabric of these towns if the pub disappeared. While many people go out to pubs alot less now they would still be badly missed if they disappeared. We like to pretend we are all sophisticated now and don't need pubs anymore but they are what Ireland was famous for and what tourists come to Ireland to experience . If you want to know what's going on in a village or town there is no other place like it, you won't find that in the local shop or church even. While you can sit outside a shop in the summer time with a drink possibly you are not really going to learn anything, because that is not a relaxed environment where a stranger might be brought in and chatted to. Whereas the Irish pub is famous the world over for that unique quality
 
Thinking back 25 years when a nearby pub (with no backyard, errrr sorry Beer-garden) and within days we heard the asking price £1.0M was offered and the publican immediately upped his price to £2.0M. Several months later the pub remained unsold. When it was eventually sold it got no more than €750,000.00. If it was put on the market these days I’d say it would be a miracle if it fetched €400,000.00. The golden goose was killed many years ago and the publicans can only blame their own greed.
 
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A 10% reduction on duty would represent about 7c incl vat on a shot of spirits and about 6.5c on a pint of beer.

Do pubs really think this will make a difference?

Market has changed. There's simply less drinking - especially younger people.
 
I see a few of the (relatively) newer off licences around Dublin 3 branching out a bit, that are in more out of the way locations.

Sweeneys does barista coffee to go, toasted sandwiches at lunchtime, has a counter for Sheridan's cheese that sort of thing. Given how built up the area is, taking advantage of the limited competition in that part of the area.

Coopers' Bottle Shop just opened at the Wooden Bridge and doubles as a wine bar \ wine retailer. Might pick up some trade for pre\post dinner drinks in Kinara, and lack of bars in that part of the area.

That's less of an option to off licences that are based on the main street of the Suburban village, which you'd expect would have pubs, coffee shops etc.
 
peemac said:
A 10% reduction on duty would represent about 7c incl vat on a shot of spirits and about 6.5c on a pint of beer.

Do pubs really think this will make a difference?
Click to expand...
I don't think the publicans are thinking that they'll reduce prices by 6.5/7 c per drink and thereby increase sales; they're thinking that they will trouser an extra 6.5/7c per drink. 6.5/7c looks healthier as a percentage increase to the publican's margin than it would as a percentage reduction in the price of a drink.
 
In my own country village where I grew up, we had 2 pubs, one in the village, one rural. Both now closed. Core reasons were
  • Drink driving rules getting tighter (for clarity, something I agree with), people simply couldn't get home from the pub and most were too nervous to drive after 2 pints
  • no passing trade, no main roads that would make it worth the pub doing decent food
  • migration of younger people to the cities, the village pub went from being open 7 days a week to 3 (weekends) and eventually none
  • Change in culture, younger people are drinking less

Cousin of mine had a pub/shop in the west, despite trying to get trade in, sponsering clubs and having events, it was just about viable but not worth it for the hours he had to put in so he closed it in the end and just kept the shop and off licence going.

I can think of at least 10 pubs in rural Ireland that have closed in recent years, and I'd imagine the reasons are largely the same + for a family pub, the next generation often don't want it due to the hours and hassle

Drug use is also a factor, disposable income going on something else.
 
Pubs in most rural villages are not in a position to offer food - the footfall wouldn’t justify the outlay required to update your premises to meet all the required regulations. Also the demographic changes are having a major impact. The cost also..squeeze middle only have so much income to go around. Add into the fact that both partners are working full time, no much time to be going to the pub.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
you search for Save our Village Pub you will find a lot of examples of communities getting together to save their only pub from closure. Most are in the UK.
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Traditionally pub culture wasn't such a big thing in UK, they are not as gregarious as Irish people and famously don't invite strangers into the conversation like Irish people Traditionally did.
It's is true that we were probably over pubbed in the past with small rural towns having 10 or 12 but now it's starting to get to other extreme.
I wonder would an organisation in Ireland like " save our pub" get much government backing, you would have very vociferous ngo groups like Alcohol Awareness kicking up probably
 
Some friends in England moved to a village with a community pub. The locals own the pub and pay a manager, varying shareholdings I think, they were able to buy a % when they moved in. Theres a committee to oversee it, a bunch of gardeners, lots of retirees who help maintenance, the local kids work there part time.
It turns a small profit. Not enough to interest a brewery chain but enough to keep it going, they were fortunate perhaps in that a couple of ex landlords lived nearby and were happy to help get it started and handle negotiations with breweries etc.

A local cafe did sandwiches for a bit but they do full food now. Again a professional runs it for a salary and a bonus.

The garden is fab, one of the nicest beer gardens I’ve ever been in.

Lots of local groups use it, they have a function room, for meetings and events, it’s nominal fees for anything local.
 
I did a quick totting up of the pubs in my vicinity (c. 1km radius from Arbour Hill) and am already up to nearly 20 excluding hotels and without venturing southside across the nearby Liffey. o_O I haven't been in any of them in years.
 
Peanuts20 said:
no passing trade, no main roads that would make it worth the pub doing decent food
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This comprehensive menu could easily be offered by any pub - Comprise 2 starters, 8 cold mains, 7 hot mains, a daily special and 2 desert options.

I created it for a village pub in Ballinskelligs a few years ago and she actually used it :D :D :D
 

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Helen McEntee wanted to introduce new licensing laws, which seemed to stall and die. We will carry on with laws that are 90 years old.

I was away with my 17 year old son at the weekend. He doesn't drink. Some of his mates drink a bit, others don't drink at all. There is no where for them to go and hang out. He and his friends aren't the only ones, Ireland doesn't have anywhere for young people to go besides the pub...a place they don't really want to be.

Ireland needs to change its licensing laws. Nightclubs have died a death. Report in The Irish Times this morning that the average European nightclub closes at 6am. In Ireland, it's 2:30am. Why? Because the Irish see 6am close as a place where people can go boozing until the morning and not a place to dance all night.
 
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