[Casillas]

Ive cut way back on my going out. Having a few pints with friends isnt worth being 50quid down the next day. Now we meet up for coffee, food, bowling, day trips etc. To be honest its a lot more fun and its healthier. Paying a fiver a pint is an utter joke, a lot more pubs will close.

[Tom Dunne]

I live in a Muslim country. A pint of Heineken is 4.80 Euro equivalent, as is a pint of Stella, Carlsberg, Guinness and on.

Think about that for a minute - drink is one of the few things I pay tax on, plus I am paying a premium because of the distance the booze has to travel.

And still, the price I pay is comparable (or cheaper than, in some cases) a Dublin pub.

To me, that says a lot about prices in Irish pubs.

[murpho999]

Originally Posted by ART6

Sure price is an issue, but as far as I am concerned it is not the only one. In the village where I live the nearest pub is a couple of miles away, and wife and I used to meet up there with friends once or twice a week. We might enjoy a meal there, and maybe a game of cards with others from the village, or a game of darts. I would limit myself to a couple of pints as I would be driving home, along a country road that was always deserted in late evenings.

Then St. Michail, following in the footsteps of St. Patrick, kicked the smokers out of the bar and into a three-walled garden shed outside, where the winds from the estuary in winter created serious anatomical issues for brass monkeys. The women, all non-smokers, would stay inside while the men tried to indulge their habit with fingers that were too cold to hold a fag properly. So the bar became female territory and the shed, male. No longer a social meeting point. Now we have new drink driving laws that make it possible to exceed the limit by simply looking at a glass of stout. Driving down to the pub is no longer an option, and neither is walking -- it's too far and too hilly for us older folks. Anyway, the pub closed last year.

So now it's carry outs from Tesco and a few drinks at home, where the men can smoke by the warm fire and the women can enjoy a glass or three of vodka each. Unfortunately that is about the be classed by the political missionaries as "binge drinking" and will be priced out of our reach. Ireland is being turned into a closed order monastery but, no doubt, our entry into Heaven will now be guaranteed by the government.

Sorry but this is all a load of ****e.

In my opinion, the smoking ban has been good for pubs and people are totally used to them.
Certainly seems more appealing to me than sitting a smoke filled, smelly living room.
Also, there is absolutely no justification for Drink Driving. It's not political correctness gone mad.
People were being killed, and since introduction of Drink Driving laws, there has been a rapid fall in road deaths.

I don't believe you that you said you limit yourself to a couple of pints! That's when you think 'Sure I'm grand I'll have another one'.

Also, if drink wasn't the issue for you then why did you stop going to the pub?

[mikemac1]

Originally Posted by ART6

In the village where I live the nearest pub is a couple of miles away, and wife and I used to meet up there with friends once or twice a week.

Now we have new drink driving laws that make it possible to exceed the limit by simply looking at a glass of stout. Driving down to the pub is no longer an option, and neither is walking -- it's too far and too hilly for us older folks. Anyway, the pub closed last year.

Could have been a business opportunity there for you to setup a hackney service

[Biggins]

Human by their nature are social creatures.
They will gather around any number of spots or places to chat within an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.

In the last few years however that situation had become curtained to a great extent by economic factors.
Be we taxed to the hilt by every possible excuse a government cash come up with monthly or we are hit time after time by mortgage hikes and ever more expensive heating and food bills - the eventual outcome is the same - the money is not there to further facilitate social gathering around 'pubs' as such, as much as we generally like to previously.

Some of what the writer of the article strikes home but the bit...

...“Price isn’t a factor. It was always dearer to buy drink in a pub.

...is just pure cobblers to a good extent!

Price is always a factor to many!
Yes, drink has always been dearer in a bar but thats because people are paying for the staff, the heating, the surroundings in which they socialise, the usual standard reasons and the paying public understand this to a good extent.
...But just saying "price isn't a factor" is totally wrong I feel.

There comes a point where even the keenest of drinkers in every town, anywhere, will say or think to themselves "Hang on, I'm not paying that price! Thats taking the piss!"

----------------

The fact is that pubs and their owners have failed to adjust not only to the current economic factors but have previously failed to use their head and see what was possibly coming down the road and planned for it!
Like those (including the previous Irish governments) that placed too much of their economic 'eggs in too small a number of baskets' (property and land), the publicans of Ireland took, and took and took, and continued to do so with the thought that they could do this forever and not have to adjust their business strategy or their ability to resource further revenue streams further than the bar counter they were busy grabbing the money acoss at various good times!
They failed to see the future, they failed to prepare for it and now they are crying 'foul'.
Now like the bankers of this world - they yet again expect the public to bail them out too!
Well the public in their masses and irateness (at been still over-charged and bullied) have said overall a massive "Fcuk you!" to the Irish drinks industry and especially to the bullies of the VFI and related business drinks associations.

If the VFI (etc) wants people back into their pubs, instead of (via lobbying governments and probably a few under the counter envelopes too?) trying to stop supermarkets from selling drink and ending the sale of cheaper drink, they should lobby the hell out of governments so that people are given the ability to relax a bit and fell comfortable to be able to actually spent their money on drink - instead of having to fear the worst and keep what little job earned wage they have, for the next latest tax, levy or dreamt up charge a government can invent so that more bankers can get their blood money!

Pub owners - you want us back, lower your prices and/or adapt - and tell your drinks organisations to lay off the bullying! The more you irritate the people, the people will protest back with their feet into other directions and methods of socialising!
Tell them instead to apply pressure on those that are also taking what little money is left, out of peoples pockets daily and then when we feel we can relax a bit more - in more ways than one, we should feel more comfortable in returning to better run 'watering holes'.

Till the attitude and current methods of operation of the drinks industry changes, I expect the bar business to continue downward in a death spiral and frankly with their stubbornness and unwillingness to change, I say "fcuk them!" - they deserve what they get and they are reaping from what they have previously sowed!

Will they listen and learn to what the public is telling them? Will they hell!
...So "fcuk them" in the meanwhile till they do eventually (hopefully!) kop-on and learn!
Till then, they bring about their own continuing doom!

[amacachi]

**** them. I'm still yet to see evidence that supermarkets are selling below cost either so that excuse is out.

[castletownman]

Is the report limited to just pubs in Dublin and other Irish cities though? I'm from a rural area and I must say the price of a pint in any place in town is fairly reasonable, around 3.80 for a Guinness and 4.00 for a Lager or Cider. I will say though by far the most popular pub in town does a drink promo of certain pints for 3 euro, and 2 vodka's and red bull for 8 euro. I find the young people of the town aren't put off by the price in ANY of the pubs, and if anything it seems to be a younger crowd that socialise on average. Those sort of prices aren't just limited in my town, they appear to be frequent in other towns I've visited.

The price for a night out in Dublin though is a joke. It's gone to the stage where you'd save up for it for a few weeks just to cover everything. I've spent less at a wedding!

[irishgeo]

the mark up a soft drink is huge.

they get the soft drinks practically free from the wholesalers and they get a discount as well because the return the empties.

i see see lots of signs for happy hours appearing and promos but i thought all that stuff was banned.

i love the pub, i never drink at home and i dislike going drinking in my mates houses/

[castletownman]

And another thing. I'm different from my friends in that if my intention is to drink alcohol than I plan to socialise with the locals and therefore don't mind spending money. Within reason. Much prefer drinking in a pub than at home. But that's just me.

[Barna77]

Originally Posted by castletownman

I've spent less at a wedding!

Do you pay for drinks at weddings?

[castletownman]

Originally Posted by Barna77

Do you pay for drinks at weddings?

Sure these recessionary times have done away with open bars

[irish_goat]

Originally Posted by irishgeo

they get the soft drinks practically free from the wholesalers and they get a discount as well because the return the empties.

There's no discount, they pay a deposit for the bottles and crates and get it back when they return them.

But for reference, the wholesale price of a coke for a pub in Donegal is roughly 60c, I'd assume it's much the same in the rest of the country.

[Mr Simpson]

Originally Posted by irishgeo

the mark up a soft drink is huge.

they get the soft drinks practically free from the wholesalers and they get a discount as well because the return the empties.

Yep the cost price of soft drinks in Musgraves last time I saw was €0.32 excl. VAT, plus a deposit of €0.08c (iirc) per bottle.

Originally Posted by irishgeo

i see see lots of signs for happy hours appearing and promos but i thought all that stuff was banned.

Happy Hour has been banned since the early 2000's, yet places still try their luck. However the law on promos is very up in the air, places must either keep their prices the same for the night or increase them, they cannot reduce their price during a normal trading day. ie. Between 10.30am and 11.30pm/2.30am. However if a promo is thought to be encouraging excessive drinking, then the local super can contest their licence at next renewal

[irishgeo]

Originally Posted by irish_goat

There's no discount, they pay a deposit for the bottles and crates and get it back when they return them.

But for reference, the wholesale price of a coke for a pub in Donegal is roughly 60c, I'd assume it's much the same in the rest of the country.

60c for the small bottles, 2.50 is the average price of a mixer in the pub.

thats a 315% markup. if my maths are correct.

jesus chirst.

[Mr. Incognito]

Diceys do €2 a drink, any drink on Tuesday €3 on Wednesday and €4 on thursday with a fiver on the door and it is WEDGED from about 7.30 on every day.

Its ALL about price.