Sir, - The "Irish pub" is a marketing brand used with great success world-wide. However, having visited Ireland recently, I question why.
In cosmopolitan Dublin the pubs are incredibly noisy, with music bouncing off the walls as patrons shout to communicate with each other. There seemed to be no place for a quiet pint. Further, the selection of beers was extremely limited. Each pub offered exactly the same choice of beers (or lack of choice) without variation. Unlike the rest of Europe, there seemed to be no regional choice or any sense of variety, making made the entire Irish pub experience quite dull. - Yours, etc.,
Ralph Irwin Perkins, East Lothian, Scotland.