Public houses in Ireland - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Public houses in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, usually known as pubs, are establishments licensed to serve alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic beverage

An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...

for consumption on the premises. Irish pubs are to be found in cities throughout Europe and North America.

Spirit grocers

Until the arrival of supermarket

Supermarket

A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...

and grocery chain store

Chain store

Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...

s in the country in the 1960s Irish pubs usually operated as a 'Spirit grocery', combining the running of pub with a grocery, hardware or other ancillary business on the same premises (in some cases, publicans also acted as undertakers, and this unusual combination is still common today in the Republic of Ireland).

Spirit groceries first appeared in the mid-18th century, when a growing temperance movement

Temperance movement

A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...

in Ireland forced publicans to diversify their businesses to compensate for declining spirit sales. With the arrival of increased competition in the retail sector, many pubs lost the retail end of their business and concentrated solely on the licensed trade. Many pubs in Ireland still resemble grocer's shops of the 19th century, with the bar counter and rear shelving taking up the majority of the space in the main bar area, apparently leaving little room for customers. This seemingly counter-productive arrangement is a design artefact dating from earlier operation as a spirit grocery, and also accounts for the differing external appearance of British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

and Irish pubs. Spirit grocers in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

were forced to choose between either the retail or the licensed trades upon the partition of Ireland

Partition of Ireland

The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...

in 1922, so this pub type can no longer be found in the North.

Signage

Ireland's pubs usually bear the name of the current or a previous owner, e.g. Murphy's or O'Connor's, and traditional pub names are absent. Famous traditional pubs in Dublin which have the characteristics outlined above include O'Donoghue's
O'Donoghue's Pub
O’Donoghue’s Pub is a historically significant drinking establishment located near St. Stephen's Green on Dublin’s south side. Built in 1789 as a grocery store, in 1934 it began operating full-time as a pub when purchased by the O’Donoghue family....

, Mulligan's, Doheny & Nesbitt's and The Brazen Head, which bills itself as Ireland's oldest pub (a distinction actually held by Sean's Bar
Sean's Bar
Sean's Bar is a pub in Athlone, Ireland. It claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland, dating back to 900, and received a certificate from Guinness World Records repeating the claim....

in Athlone). Some pubs are named after famous streets, such as Sober Lane in Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, which is named because of Father Matthew's Hall of Abstinence. Individual pubs are also associated with famous Irish writers and poets such as Patrick Kavanagh

Patrick Kavanagh

Patrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, his best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and the poems Raglan Road and The Great Hunger...

, Brendan Behan

Brendan Behan

Brendan Francis Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.-Early life:...

and James Joyce

James Joyce

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...

.

Elaborate exterior decoration is rare, but was typified by The Irish House on Wood Quay

Wood Quay

Wood Quay is a riverside area of Dublin that was a site of Viking settlement. Dublin Corporation acquired Wood Quay gradually between 1950 and 1975, finally announcing that it would be the location of their new offices. Finds made during the initial excavation of the site led to a massive, but...

in Dublin, which was surrounded in 1870 by coloured frieze

Frieze

thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...

s of nationalist

Irish nationalism

Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...

heroes, and with iconic traditional themes such as round towers

Irish round tower

Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...

. Parts of Ulysses were filmed in this pub in 1967.

Northern Ireland

Pubs in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

are largely identical to their counterparts in the Republic

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

except for the aforementioned lack of spirit grocers. Traditional pubs in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

include The Crown Liquor Saloon
The Crown Liquor Saloon
The Crown Liquor Saloon is a public house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Refurbished to a high standard in 1885, it is an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace, and is one of Northern Ireland's best-known pubs.- History :...

(owned by the National Trust

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...

) and the city's oldest bar, White's Tavern, which was established in 1630 as a wine shop. Outside Belfast, pubs such as the House of McDonnell
House of McDonnell
The House of McDonnell is a traditional Irish pub in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.Established in 1766, the pub is noted for the quality of the traditional Irish pub interior , which has remained largely unchanged over the years...

in Ballycastle

Ballycastle

Ballycastle can refer to:*Ballycastle, County Antrim, a small town in Northern Ireland*Ballycastle, County Mayo, a village in the Republic of Ireland...

(a former spirit grocery retaining all the characteristics of the type) and Grace Neill's
Grace Neill's
Grace Neill's, in the town of Donaghadee, Northern Ireland claims to be the oldest licensed pub in Ireland, but that title is held by Sean's Bar in Athlone, which the Guinness World Records records as being founded in 900, pre-dating Grace Neill's by 700 years.The pub was opened in 1611 as the...

in Donaghadee

Donaghadee

Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles south east of Bangor. It had a population of 6,470 people in the 2001 Census...

are representative of the traditional country pub. Peadar O'Donnell's is a famous traditional pub on Waterloo Street in Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

, while The Farmers Home is another fine traditional pub in Strabane

Strabane

Strabane , historically spelt Straban,is a town in west County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council....

, County Tyrone

County Tyrone

Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...

Irish pubs and tourism

The majority of 'traditional' pubs in Ireland today have been refurbished in a pastiche of the original style during the 1990s. Many were refurbished in this manner so as to increase their attractiveness to tourists by more closely resembling the 'Irish pubs' found outside Ireland; and thus have more in common with them (many were refurbished by the same outfitting companies) than the traditional pub type they purport to represent.

Pubs in tourist-oriented areas are also more likely to serve food to their customers, a recent phenomenon dating from the 1970s. Prior to this time, food was not served in the vast majority of Irish pubs, as eating out was uncommon in Ireland (except in "eating-houses" set up on market days) and most towns and villages had at least one commercial hotel where food was available throughout the day . The provision of meals in pubs ('pub grub') since this time is largely the result of an effort by Irish publicans to capture the tourist eating trade. The majority of traditional rural pubs not on the major tourist trails do not serve food; while traditional bars in urban areas such as Dublin, Armagh

Armagh

Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

, Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

, and Sligo

Sligo

Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...

have responded to the increase in Irish people eating outside the home (a by-product of so called 'Celtic Tiger

Celtic Tiger

Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...

' economy during the 1990s); and now provide meals throughout the day.

Following the introduction of the smoking ban

Smoking ban

Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...

in the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

, many pubs offer enclosed and often heated outdoor smoking areas. A similar law came into effect in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

in April 2007.

Irish Pubs have been opened throughout the world, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.

The vast majority of pubs in Ireland are independently owned and licensed, or owned by a chain that does not have any brewery involvement, generally meaning that nearly every pub sells a similar but extensive range of products. Some microbreweries operate their own pubs or chains of pubs, where the range is more limited, with only their own products and a few others.

Irish pub culture and etiquette

For decades, the Irish public house has been a social and community hub for the people of Ireland. It functions as both a place to consume alcohol at leisure as well as a place in which to meet and greet the people of a locality. In many cases, Irish people will have one (or more) pubs which are referred to as 'the local' which is the pub which they frequent most often. There is generally a very close and mutual understanding and informality between the customer and the barstaff and, in many cases, particularly in country pubs, virtually all of the regular customers will know each other very well.
The etiquette in Irish pubs varies from place to place. Generally speaking, however, it is never necessary to 'tip' barstaff. The only exception to this rule might be in a pub which has waiters for serving food, or for staff at a hotel bar, or on special occasions or events when the bar staff show particular skill, hard-work or good-humour. But again, this is rare.

Irish pubs in North America

The tradition of the Irish pub in the United States is a rich one and it is virtually impossible to find any city on the continent without its own unique representation of Irish pub culture. Many great examples of these pubs date from the early part of the last century and even the 19th century and most of them came into being as a result of large-scale emigration from Ireland since the 1840s.

The most recent wave of Irish pubs started appearing during the 1990s with the arrival of venues modelled on the great Victorian pubs of Ireland. The millwork and fittings for these pubs were usually crafted in Ireland and transported to North America, supporting their owners' claim that these pubs were authentically Irish. As this style of pub became very popular and successful, many more began to open across the United States. However, as the cost of importing millwork and fittings for an Irish pub became prohibitive, prospective owners looked more locally and nearly all of the required material is now more than adequately supplied from within the United States or Canada.

The financial and popular success of these pubs has been phenomenal and Irish pubs are now one of the largest and most prolific casual-dining concepts in North America. While many pubs are still owned by individuals of Irish origin, the vast majority of new Irish pubs being opened are owned by American restaurant operators who recognize the very attractive business model and potential return on investment. In an industry where profits can be very low, margins in Irish pubs are significantly higher than those achieved within the mainstream casual-dining sector, mainly because of the very high and profitable ratio of beverage to food. Irish pubs also have the ability to attract business during periods when their casual-dining counterparts are traditionally slow. Examples of the "Irish pub" concept translating to American casual dining include O'Charley's

O'Charley's

O'Charley's is a casual dining restaurants chain in the United States, with more than 240 company-owned locations. O'Charley's is located in 17 Southern and Midwestern states, including four franchised O'Charley's restaurants in Michigan, one franchised O'Charley's in Ohio, three joint venture...

and Bennigan's

Bennigan's

Bennigan's is an Irish pub-themed casual dining restaurant chain with locations throughout the United States, and in 14 countries and 15 territories outside the continental U.S...

. However, these are not true representations of the Irish Pub and their food is very much on the theme of American Roadhouse. The first ever convention for Irish Pub operators took place in Philadelphia during 2011, an immensely successful event that attracted nearly 200 operators from the US and elsewhere...

Often, the Irish theme extends only to the name and the decor, while the menus are much like those in other North American bars or full of faux-Irish dishes like "Irish nachos" and reuben

Reuben sandwich

The Reuben sandwich is a hot sandwich of layered meat, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, with a dressing. These are grilled between slices of rye bread. The meat is either corned beef or pastrami, and the dressing is either Russian or Thousand Island dressing...

egg rolls. True Irish Pubs in North America ensure that food is 'made from scratch', from fresh ingredients and using local produce where possible.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Spirit grocers

Signage

Northern Ireland

Irish pubs and tourism

Irish pub culture and etiquette

Irish pubs in North America

Further reading

External links