In a shock state of affairs it turns out the number of pubs across Ireland is dropping.
Despite a growing population the number of pubs in the country has dropped from 8,617 in 2005 to 7,140 in 2017. That’s a 17.1% drop in just 12 years. At this rate the country will be effectively pub less in less than a century!
Not all areas of the country are suffering badly. In Dublin the drop is just 1.7% from 786 to 773. By comparison poor Cork lost 25% of it’s pubs. It’s still the county with the most though as 915 remain.
Wicklow lost just 1 pub over the 12 year period.
Rural counties saw the most significant drop in pubs, which serve as a major source of employment regionally. In 2005, there were 7,831 pubs in Ireland outside of Dublin. In 2017, that number dropped by 18.7% to 6,367.
Commenting on the findings, Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive Officer, Vintners’ Federation of Ireland and DIGI member said: “The number of pubs are down 17.1% in the period from 2005 to 2017 which is a worrying statistic. These pubs are small businesses, mainly in rural Ireland, that provide significant employment and continue to create jobs in local communities.
“In Mayo alone, hospitality and drinks businesses enable 4,095 jobs while in Donegal, there are 368 pubs and 7,445 jobs supported by the industry. This demonstrates the scale of employment that this sector creates rurally.
90,000 jobs across the country are dependent on the drinks industry alone. The industry purchases over €1.1bn of Irish produce annually, exports goods worth over €1.25bn, and provides over €2.3bn worth of excise and VAT income to the state.
