Documentary on Irish Pubs RTE1

Watched it on the RTE player, I know Fethard, McCarthys is grand old pub but probably another one or two down there could be featured too but say it's the same with every town in Ireland. Keane's was a bit of a PR stunt other times I have seen him he has some good stories on the documentary it all seemed a bit forced, also he had bleach or something stained on his jumper, really off putting.

Hope this pubs never disappear, my own favourite pubs in Dublin include the palace, the boars head and Kehoes for a pint and a chat and with the boars some racing, it's a great way to unwind!

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

themselves too much, but Irish pubs are clearly doing something most other European pubs are not, which drives their prices far higher than is considered reasonable throughout the rest of Europe.

In Koln city centre, 20cl of kolsch is 1.80, that means 5.11 per pint.

Okay, if you go to basic pubs, maybe 1-2km out, you could pay less.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Yeah it's just modern life in general I think. Before the ONLY thing many people could do for the evening is head to the pub. Now you can stay in with Netflix, Facebook, Mobile Phones, Playstations, HDTV's, YouTube or go out somewhere that isn't a pub like the gym, 5 a side, book clubs, tai chi courses, restaurants, cinema, painting classes, more people have cars now, more people work during evenings, men play a bigger role inside the family home ect ect ect.

The pub is still a great Irish institution but there's more to life than propping up the bar every night of the week now, whereas maybe there simply wasn't in the past.

Read your post out loud and pretend there is a 70 year old man from Kinnegad in the room with you. Actually anybody from anywhere rural in the land.

Of course, who would ?. The alternatives presented were world cinema, gyms, yoga, painting classes etc...all readily available in city centre Dublin or Cork. Where the hell is your average village dweller going to find any of these wondrous activities ?
You live in the backend of nowhere in a town with a population of less than say 2000 - what do you do with your time. Regardless of age.
I can get up tomorrow and drink myself senseless in any one of 1000 pubs or go to a Mongolian restaurant via the Irish Film Institute after booking my Tai Chi course. If I was in Killybegs, what would my options be ?
The pub is the lifeblood of rural Ireland, always was. Dublin can afford to lose a lot of pubs (I hope that doesn't happen) but to small town Ireland it is the only thing to do. A lot of people in that documentary said they went to the pub for a chat - they weren't all lying. You can drink yourself to death all by yourself anywhere on Earth. Human company is what the show was about - not alcohol.

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Of course, who would ?. The alternatives presented were world cinema, gyms, yoga, painting classes etc...all readily available in city centre Dublin or Cork. Where the hell is your average village dweller going to find any of these wondrous activities ?
You live in the backend of nowhere in a town with a population of less than say 2000 - what do you do with your time. Regardless of age.
I can get up tomorrow and drink myself senseless in any one of 1000 pubs or go to a Mongolian restaurant via the Irish Film Institute after booking my Tai Chi course. If I was in Killybegs, what would my options be ?
The pub is the lifeblood of rural Ireland, always was. Dublin can afford to lose a lot of pubs (I hope that doesn't happen) but to small town Ireland it is the only thing to do. A lot of people in that documentary said they went to the pub for a chat - they weren't all lying. You can drink yourself to death all by yourself anywhere on Earth. Human company is what the show was about - not alcohol.

I agree that the pub is more important socially to rural Ireland. What would you put their decline in numbers down to?

Many modern conveniences still hold true in rural Ireland just to less of an extent. Cars, the internet and mobile phones alone ensure there is a non pub way to travel, interact and meet with other people. There are simply more ways to entertain oneself nowadays.

I love going to the pub btw. I'm just giving my opinion on why as an Irish institution it's days have long since peaked.

Watched this last night on the player. Enjoyed it and it has the makings of a great pub road trip but didn't realised it was filmed so long ago (at least 3 years by the sound of it).

Overall it was a bit rose-tinted and twee. No talk about what publicans can do in rural areas to increase trade. The man with the young children climbing all over the bar was interesting, saying he'd lost his passion for the place. Would have liked a bit more rigour to the whole documentary though.

My local pub is thatched, about 200 years old and 5 miles from the nearest town. It has about 7 old fellas in it every evening watching the racing, mostly widowed or single men. They stay until about 10.30pm and then it's empty.

On saturday nights (if there's no 21st or other party) the place could be empty until 11pm, then maybe 30 people might show up for a few pints and stay until 2am. Anyone under 35 either doesn't go out anymore or drinks at home before heading into town. Why would you sit in a usually dirty pub with a tv blaring and everyone gossiping when you can sit in your own comfy chair at home with your friends, drink cheap cans and not queue for anything (not my view but one I hear often).

Last time I brought a new fella to the local to show him around we had burns in our back from people staring at us. My father was quizzed at mass the next morning who was the fella I was with and who were 'his people'. I'm in my 30s and couldn't care less but there's little sense of privacy in a local pub.

Still love them though.

FloatingVoter wrote: »

^ ...don't keep us in suspense...who was de fella ? Are ye goin' steady ? Any wedding bells ?

You forgot the classic "Do I need to buy a hat?"

A normal TV in the corner on mute is acceptable. Sound only goes up for important events such as horse races and nearby terrorist attacks. None of that flat screen rubbish either. A proper telly that can fit a pint and an ashtray on top.

razorhead wrote: »

Is it being repeated?

You can download it on Torrents .Thats the only way i could watch as i am here in Asia ,and when i try to look on RTE player ,it refuses to show in my region.Some RTE programmes i can get though without a VNP thingy.

I loved the Programme .Really well made and enjoyable.:)

Sheldons Brain wrote: »

Is there a convenient list of the pubs featured (with their Eircodes)?

Close enough!!

http://irishpubfilm.com/the-pubs-2/

marvin80, when did you look at Smyth's? It's not far from me, and fairly run down. Michael died a few years back.

marvin80 wrote: »

Looking at google maps and Gartlans Bar in Kingscourt, Cavan is open again - fair play to the new owners for getting it back up and running.

Marvin, I was in Gartlan's about two years ago, cracking spot, great trad music on the night I was in there, well worth a visit.