This article is from page 6 of the 2014-01-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
“THE traditional Irish pub as we know it will be extinct in the next few years.”
That was the fear expressed by the Clare representative on the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Charlie O’Meara as he explored the change in people’s attitudes, especially young people, to public houses.
“People get tired of hearing how difficult it is for the publican, but it is true. The rural pubs are suffering there is no doubt, but town pubs are struggling as well,” he said.
“The social scene has changed, so the next generation growing up has no allegiance to a pub,” he explained.
The Ennis publican said the new generation is drinking at home and then going straight to a late bar of nightclub.
The majority of pubs in Clare to- day are surviving by providing food also.
The operator of Moroney’s Bar in Ennis said most Irish pubs now have more in common with the traditional English pub.
He made the comments when asked about the number of licence holders in the county dropping again.
In 2005, there were 373 licensed premises in Clare according to official revenue figures.
Last year that figure had dropped to 306, a drop of just one in the last year.
Many of those licences accounted for however, refer to anyone who holds a seven day licence such as off licence, hotel or shop and do not reflect a full picture of the number of public houses forced to close due to lack of trade.
Many publicans that did call time for the last time transferred or sold their licences to businesses other than pubs.