Southern Pubs

[Dougal Maguire]

Just back from having a few pints in Dundalk with the wife. Went to place we used to go to some years ago and where you would have struggled to find standing room. Pub was empty. Is this the case all over the south?

[Tony Baloney]

Just back from having a few pints in Dundalk with the wife. Went to place we used to go to some years ago and where you would have struggled to find standing room. Pub was empty. Is this the case all over the south?

Was up home about a month ago and there was about 4 people in the local on a Saturday night. Everyone drinking at home.

[All of a Sludden]

Depends on the pub. Ridleys, Brubakers and the like only start to get busy after 11.30, before that they are empty. Phoenix is usually busy early on, though how that ignorant hoor gets a crowd is beyond me.

Saturday night isn't the main night in town anymore, Monday and Thursday are.

[Rossfan]

Dundalk in the South ??

Very partitionist talk that.

[Dougal Maguire]

Just back from having a few pints in Dundalk with the wife. Went to place we used to go to some years ago and where you would have struggled to find standing room. Pub was empty. Is this the case all over the south?

Was up home about a month ago and there was about 4 people in the local on a Saturday night. Everyone drinking at home.

As a matter of interest, and you don't have to say if you don't want to, where is up home?

[Tony Baloney]

Just back from having a few pints in Dundalk with the wife. Went to place we used to go to some years ago and where you would have struggled to find standing room. Pub was empty. Is this the case all over the south?

Was up home about a month ago and there was about 4 people in the local on a Saturday night. Everyone drinking at home.

As a matter of interest, and you don't have to say if you don't want to, where is up home?

The Green Glens of Antrim.

[Forever Green]

Pubs are dying. Its really sad to see. A lot cheaper for folk to drink in the house these days but you`ll never beat the craic

[bennydorano]

Girl at work was in Kilkenny for a weekend, in a pub late on says the ashtrays were produced! Thought that eas a bit of a myth tbh.

[mylestheslasher]

That's the way it all over the country. People are skint and you can buy a can of beer for a euro in the off licence or for 4 euro in a pub. A bottle of beer could cost 5 euro in the pub. That's how the government are taxing drink and I think they've completely missed the point myself.

[brokencrossbar1]

Just back from having a few pints in Dundalk with the wife. Went to place we used to go to some years ago and where you would have struggled to find standing room. Pub was empty. Is this the case all over the south?

Was in Cork for a week there and went to one of the local pubs where we were staying, Friday night there were 6 of us sitting watching Daniel O'donnell on TV3 and Sunday night there were 4 of us till closing time.  We were down by Kinsale and one of the main hotels is gone and several of the restuarants and small cafes, though we did have to wait for a table at 3 oclock in the afternoon for something to eat.  We know the man who owns the funfair that has been coming to Kinsale for years and he closed up a week early as there was no point in staying on.

[thewobbler]

I still can't decide if the government (both ROI and UK) have set out to kill the pub culture in their countries, or if they're just burying their heads in the sand.

If it's the former, it's a tad misguided. The problem has never been pubs, but the lack of alternatives to pubs. These are wet islands and outdoor culture is minimal. The new alternative is drinking in the house; a less controlled and less environment for taking alcohol.

If it's the latter, then it's a disgrace.

Perhaps the biggest problem the pub trade faces is that even if the government reduced tax on on-trade, Diageo stopped being greedy bastards and the smoking ban was overturned, it is changing the culture of the country back to pub-goer.

[snoopdog]

yes it is sad the pubs and  clubs of ireland are on their knees but it didnt prevent them ripping us off for years during the good times. reap what they sow, Yes thegovt have high taxes but the publicans didnt help with their greed

[thebigfella]

Smoking ban has fcuk all to with it. There was plenty of people in the smoking areas when times were good.

[Tony Baloney]

The government (in the North anyway) are getting wise to the home drinker too by implementing minimum prices. A  revenue haul badged as a health drive.

[thewobbler]

Hardstation you're getting a bit confuse over supply and demand there.

Asda and co can name their price to breweries because they buy so much stock off them. It's not like Diageo phone up the Tesco controller and says 'here, why don't we make a load of booze for you to sell at skimpy margins to us?'.

I think what Diageo have done to a price of a keg in the past 10 years is disgusting. They've basically outpriced the draught market by their actions. But unfortunately this is simple economics at work too. If people aren't drinking pints, the cost of delivering that pint to a customer goes up.

Diageo and co have reacted to market change. The pubs are losing out. It's really only the government who can save them, and I don't know if they want to.