While pubs in Dublin escaped relatively unscathed, rural areas have seen the highest proportion of closures. In Limerick, 32 per cent of the county’s pubs have closed since 2005, with Roscommon (30.3 per cent), Laois and Cork (both 29.9 per cent) not too far behind. The kicker is, in these rural areas, the pub plays a far more crucial role in the tapestry of local life. When you’re in the country, the pub is the social hub of the community. It’s the cornerstone of village life, where people catch up over pots of tea during the day and gossip over pints come nightfall.
In the country especially, there are vital ingredients that make for a great Irish boozer. Inside, you should find the walls heaving with antique bric-a-brac, from old bar mats and dusty whiskey bottles to ancient pots and inexplicable farming equipment hanging from the ceiling (bonus points if they’re rusty). The air should have a lingering waft of smouldering turf or coal, from an old fireplace that’s lit even during the summer months. And, while even the hardiest of country pubs are starting to change their tune, the only food on offer should be a toastie, made from plasticky cheese and sliced bread.
But most importantly, there should be a classic roster of characters propping up the bar, gently ribbing the landlord and keeping everyone abreast of the local scandal. “People make a good pub,” says Cribben. “We go to the pub to meet people and to interact. It’s the stories – some of them true, some of them far-fetched. But it’s all about the people and how they interact with one another. We’re social animals – it’s part of what we are.”
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/ireland/sad-demise-of-irelands-pubs-dublin-galway-belfast/
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Publish date : 2023-09-08 03:00:00
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