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Tag Archives: pub

Rain dampens publican’s trade

PUBLICANS received bad news last week when the return of indoor dining and drinking was put on hold, and that has been compounded since, with wet and miserable weather deterring people who might have been content to socialise outdoors. Speaking on Tuesday, Ennis publican and Ennis Chamber President, Darragh McAllister said the change in weather brought a big change in business. “Oh completely, it’s down by over half. We kind of knew it was coming as well, with people unsure about the weather they wouldn’t head out into it. It had a massive effect, it was always going to do.” While there are a number of pubs open again, he says few are profitable due to the restrictions and increased obligations on publicans. “The few places that can do it are still limited, there are only so many people you can have anyway. In reality the whole thing isn’t viable without the supports that are in place, it’s not viable …

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Pub ‘over the moon’ to reopen but nervous too

Chamber chief and publican believes new reopening regime better than last year’s A NEW chapter in the Covid recovery story begins on Monday, when restaurants and pubs can begin outdoor service once again. As visitors to Ennis on weekend evenings during May would have observed, certain pubs have been giving takeaway services for some time, but from Monday people can stay and consume their drinks in the outdoor sections of pub grounds. For those without outdoor areas but not doing take away, it will be the first time to open in 2021, although indoor drinking and dining won’t resume until July 5. Publican and President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce Darragh McAllister is planning to reopen Lucas’ Bar on Parnell Street on Monday. Delighted to be finally getting the chance to do so, he admitted to a certain level of apprehension too. “We’re over the moon, but yeah, there are a few nerves as well. It’s a bit like the …

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“They have no outlet at all”

TUESDAY evening’s decision to keep pubs which don’t serve food, was bad news for the vast majority of rural Clare’s publicans. Many such pubs closed for the last time during the recession and among those still standing, there are fears that Covid-19 could be the coup de grace. “You’d be afraid customers would stop coming to pubs, the whole thing could change.” warned John Quinlivan of the Honk in Newmarket on Fergus on Wednesday. Allowing only a select few pubs to open their doors may actually be counterproductive, giving too great a concentration of people, he believes. “I think it’s actually more dangerous. We were away for a weekend and there were only two pubs that did food in this area, and everyone was gravitating to these two places and funnelling into them. Between people inside trying to come out, people trying to get in and people trying to book, there was a whole heap of people at the one …

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84 Clare pubs close in14 years

ALMOST one in four of the Banner’s pubs closed down between 2005 and 2018. This week, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) produced figures for the amount of pubs operating in each of the 26 counties in the Republic in 2005 and 2018. In the year 2005, as the Irish economy boomed, Clare had 373 pubs. However, last year the figure was down to 289, a drop of 22.5%. During the years in question, pubs had to deal with greater enforcement of drink driving and lower alcohol limits, as well as a very severe recession, while the smoking ban was introduced just nine months before the start of 2005. According to DIGI, the drinks and hospitality sector in Clare still enables 6,682 jobs and €285 million in tourism spend. The average county saw its number of pubs decline by 17.9%, so Clare is on the high side. Limerick was worst hit, with 27.8% of pubs closing and Dublin did …

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“The whole town has changed”

A BUSINESS that combines a pub and shop is nearly a thing of the past but a few of them still survive, including Kenny’s in Ennis. Located at the corner of Carmody Street and Drumbiggle Road, it is a type of premises that is now almost unique in Ennis, where one can get a newspaper and a couple of groceries at the front and a pint of Guinness or a whiskey in the back. When The Clare Champion visited on Thursday night of last week, Tony Coote was one of those seated comfortably at the bar. “I’m a regular here; it’s a very unique pub. There aren’t many places you’d come in and see tennis balls for sale,” he laughs, pointing at a bag of them hanging up in the shop. If you were looking for an authentic Irish bar, it would be hard to beat Kenny’s and some visitors to the town do make their way there, Tony said. …

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“Bring Shane Ross out of Dublin City Centre and he’d get lost”

FOR almost 50 years Mike Noonan has been coming to The Blacksticks Bar but he can see its the type of bar that might not survive for very much longer. Mike, who doesn’t take a drink himself, is still very critical of the changes to the drink driving laws, introduced by a government minister who he feels has no understanding of rural Ireland. “Bring Shane Ross out of Dublin City Centre and he’d get lost. If you landed him here and turned off the street light he’d panic, he’d be looking for the public transport home.” He adds, “It’s a shame, just because of a man above in Dublin City. If you landed him here, he’d get frightened when he saw the dark, he wouldn’t be used to it. But I suppose it’s in now and it’s there to stay. I honestly don’t think it will save any life.” Mike says there are degrees of drink driving.“If you go into …

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Clare support for minimum pricing

THE new alcohol bill, seen as the first step in introducing a minimum price on alcohol, will help to promote responsible drinking, according to the chairman of the Clare Vintners Association. Charles O’Meara said the organisation has been campaigning for the Public Health Alcohol Bill for a long time. “I suppose Róisín Shorthall could see where we were going and, in fairness, Leo Varadkar seems to have brought it to this stage, which is fantastic,” he commented. Mr O’Mara believes minimum pricing will be a very positive tool for promoting responsible drinking. “In fairness, we’re making a living out of this as publicans but the whole social scene has changed. A dangerous precedent is being set over the last number of years. Alcohol is literally being sold cheaper than a bottle of water,” he conceded. “We certainly weren’t getting a fair shot at what we’re doing. We’re trying to make a living but we’re trying to do it properly. We’ve …

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Four Clare pubs listed in 2014 Michelin Guide

Four popular Clare pubs, Morrissey’s of Doonbeg, Vaughan’s Anchor Inn in Liscannor, Wild Honey Inn in Lisdoonvarna and Linnane’s Lobster Bar in New Quay, are amongs thirty-four Irish establishments to be listed in the latest 2014 Michelin ‘Eating Out In Pubs’ Guide which has just been published. They are listed alongside twenty-three other pubs from the Republic of Ireland and seven from Northern Ireland also featured in the publication. Both Linnane’s Lobster Bar in New Quay and Morrissey’s of Doonbeg are new listings while the Wild Honey Inn in Lisdoonvarna is one of three to receive Inspector’s Favourite listings, others being Deasy’s (Clonakilty) and Toddy’s at The Bulman (Kinsale). Overall, listings were allocated as follows: Down (7), Cork (6), Clare (4), Mayo (3), Galway, Kerry and Kildare (2 each) followed by Dublin, Leitrim, Louth, Sligo, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow (1 each). Noting that no one has to put up with bad food in a pub anymore, editor Rebecca Burr …

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