The Irish pub remains the beating heart of Irish social life

“Time flies in an Irish pub,” says John Clendennen. “When you go to the pub you think you are just going for a drink, but you are never quite sure what you are going to leave with. You don’t know who you are going to meet or what stories you’ll gather. It’s a truly unique experience.”

Clendennen should know. He runs the popular Giltrap’s Pub in Co Offaly and is president of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI), which is celebrating 50 years as the voice of publicans throughout the country.

That half-century has seen a huge transformation in the country and in its public houses. Many today offer top-quality food, an ever-increasing range of boutique beers and spirits, as well as non-alcoholic options including Guinness 0.0, a wide variety of entertainment options and attractive outdoor seating.

Over those years publicans have shown resilience and demonstrated their capacity for innovation in the face of challenges such as recessions and the pandemic, as well as meeting changing consumer tastes and patterns.

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They have been helped by the VFI, a national trade organisation for pubs outside the Greater Dublin Area that has thousands of members in cities, towns and villages across Ireland, and whose objectives include, among others, ensuring that members are professionally represented to all stakeholders and helping to promote the traditional Irish pub.

The essence of the Irish pub, however, remains as it always has. “Pubs lie at the centre of their communities, the true hub where people meet, share their stories and come together for important occasions,” Clendennen says. “Publicans and their staff play a key role in creating this welcoming atmosphere.”

Sheridan’s Pub in Milltown, near Tuam in Co Galway, is a pub that certainly knows how to move with the times. Now in the seventh generation of family ownership and a former drinking-only establishment, Sheridan’s undertook a big renovation in 2007 and now offers gastropub food and accommodation, a move publican Cathal Sheridan says he hopes will keep it in the family for generations to come.

“We’ve a mix of offerings which keep us at the centre of the community. We’re the last place where the lights go out at night and we’re the only local establishment open from morning to late at night seven days a week.”

From walkers coming in for coffee in the morning to those looking for lunch or dinner with a perfect pint and a friendly face behind the bar, Sheridan’s is the beating heart of the village, where people mark everything from christenings to funerals and every event in between, Cathal says.

A feature of the village since 1827, the thick walls of the pub retain history and heritage in more ways than one. During its renovation a secret chamber used during the War of Independence.

Sheridan’s location on the famous N17 makes it a popular stop-off for travellers throughout the west of Ireland.

Despite the changes, Cathal says Sheridan retains the essence of what makes a great Irish pub. “That’s about creating a really friendly fun and warm atmosphere, and our staff do that instinctively. There’s something unique about an Irish pub that people really appreciate.”

In the village of Annagassan in Co Louth, meanwhile, the Glyde Inn has put a big emphasis on its food offering as well as the area’s Viking heritage to create a unique and hospitable Irish pub experience. This has helped it scoop numerous awards in recent years including pub of the year in 2018 and the James Joyce award for Ireland’s most authentic pub.

Publican Conor O’Neill, whose family have run the establishment for many years, credits his mother Ann for developing the dining aspect. “Our food offering started in the 1980s when a nurse came in one day and asked my mother for soup. The next day there were three nurses looking for soup, so my mother decided to do a cookery course in Ballymaloe.”

Today the Glyde Inn has a reputation for serving delicious locally-sourced seafood such as razor clams, chowder, crab claws and prawns, which patrons can enjoy as they overlook Dundalk Bay.

Annagassan predated Dublin as the capital of Ireland in Viking times, and a section of the pub has now been devoted to a virtual reality tour which has proved popular with tourists. Here visitors can sit on a Viking boat table and hear the story of the area’s ancient heritage as told by Bjorn the Bear. As the presentation finishes the table is filled with a sumptuous selection of local seafood.

The Glyde Inn’s entertainment also includes sell-out Fawlty Towers and Father Ted evenings with actors, including local man Joe Rooney (Fr Damo), amusing customers with hilarious antics.

The pub dates from 1770, and among its famous patrons was the author CS Lewis. Locals believe the scenery around the pub was the inspiration for the magical world of Narnia.

Ross Bisset, Diageo on-trade commercial director, says the Irish pub is a unique institution, which means different things to different customers. “Whether it is having a quiet pint of Guinness beside a roaring fire or catching up with people at the counter, the pub lies at the centre of social and cultural life here.”

Bisset says Irish pubs have worked hard to overcome the challenges they have faced in recent years, and Diageo is proud to have played its part in supporting the sector through initiatives such as Raising the Bar, which provided practical help to pubs through the pandemic. “There’s a sense of positivity and optimism in the sector again now‚” he says.

In the year the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland marks half a century in business this is a good thing but despite the enhanced mood it is still a struggle for many businesses in the hospitality sector.

Over the years recognition of the unique characteristics and attractiveness of the Irish pub has grown globally, and there are few big cities throughout the world that don’t boast an Irish bar. Clendennen says the Irish pub is a concept “often copied but never equalled”. The VFI has now applied for Unesco world heritage status for the Irish pub.

Irish pubs have come a long way in the past 50 years. With the resilience and innovative approach many publicans have taken to overcome the challenges they have faced, customers are set to continue to enjoy the attractions of the Irish pub for many years to come.

For more information see vfipubs.ie