Having worked in Clare bars for over 30 years, Maurice Walsh has seen a lot of change in the sector.
He has run Durty Nelly’s in Bunratty for the last 16 years, and is very well versed in the challenges facing the pub trade in a county where almost one third of bars have closed permanently since 2005.
Pub owners now face a range of high costs, he feels.
“Definitely the general running costs have increased with insurance and rates, electricity, oil, even the turf for the fire,” he said.
“The labour costs have increased, the suppliers are constantly increasing prices.”
It’s no secret that it’s now expensive to go for a pint, and he says the State take a huge share of what customers pay.
“The pricing, people say it’s expensive and when you break it down 60% goes to the Government,” he said.
It is a difficult sector in which to make plans.
“It is frustrating in a lot of ways, because it’s very hard to plan,” he said.
“Some businesses have a steady flow, others are depending on the summer trade and the weather and things like that. When you get a bad run of weather, as we have done for the last few years, it kind of reinforces the problems.
“Especially in Clare because we are quite seasonal.”
He points out that, not long ago, Ennis would have had a nightclub open seven nights a week, but the night time economy in the town is far smaller nowadays.
Indeed, that’s the experience all over the country, with spending habits having changed.
“Nightclubs have been reduced by 80% in the country, it’s just a different environment now,” he said.
“The big issue is that the money that’s available for socialising isn’t being spent in pubs. That has happened all over the country and it is very difficult to run a business with the high costs.”
While the decline of pubs has been longstanding, the pandemic made things far worse.
“Definitely Covid changed people’s drinking habits. The off sale trade went very high during Covid and stayed high since,” he said.
“People have changed their habits, they would definitely be consuming more domestically and coming out to the bars and places like that later, or they’d go home early and have a few beers and watch a film or whatever.”
Even after such a long period of contraction in the sector, he doesn’t see much cause for optimism.
“There are very few green shoots at the moment. I do think if they regularised the licensing laws it could make a difference,” he said.
“This year, with the hurling, down in Thurles, the pubs couldn’t open until 12.30pm, everyone had to stand outside like fools.
“When there are occasions the licensing laws should be flexible. Common sense doesn’t seem to prevail in a lot of instances like that.
“It’s like a perfect storm and there doesn’t seem to be any end to it, that’s the thing.
“We’re fighting for a VAT reduction, for duty on drink to be decreased and things like that, but it’s falling on deaf ears at the moment.
“I don’t think the Government are in line with reality.”
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.