Irish pubs, once regarded as the centers of communities found throughout the Emerald Isle, are currently experiencing a death like never before. Thousands of rural businesses have closed for good and those in cities continue to fight just to stay alive. According to recent figures, Ireland has now lost more than 2,100 pubs since 2005, or an average of about 112 each year. This disturbing trend raises some critical questions. The future of these social hubs, that have historically been the backbone of Irish culture, is now at stake.
The United Kingdom’s short-hand term for a public house—“pub”—sometimes goes a long way to describing the character of such spaces. They’re local hubs where everyone from neighborhood kids to the local police department comes to hear music, share experiences, celebrate milestones or just enjoy a cold pint. With the shuttering of pubs went this community element. Perry Share, co-editor of the book “The Irish Pub,” explains a troubling trend. He mentions that some villages have lost all of their pubs, cutting off community gathering places for local residents. Tell stories that new housing developments leave out pubs, deepening isolation within neighborhoods.
Two recent publications, “The Irish Pub: Invention and Reinvention” and “The Dublin Pub: A Social and Cultural History,” explore the elements that define an ideal pub. Taken together, these works draw the conclusion that Irish pubs are in crisis as they shake under the weight of economic downturn and schisms in social culture. Kevin Martin, a contributor to “The Irish Pub,” identifies ten essential elements for a perfect pub, including “a great pint of Guinness at a decent price” and the importance of “convivial company when required, and peace when not.”
Their cultural significance goes far beyond their physical presence. They’re featured as underlying environments in movies, novels, and stage performances, captivating travels with Ireland’s deep culture. Even with this tragic decline, over 7,000 pubs continue to flourish throughout the country. Remarkably, well over half of the country’s population resides within 300 meters of one of these dispensaries. The heart of a pub should not just be distance measured in miles, but rather a connection to the community they serve.
As historian and author Donal Fallon writes, we’ve become used to viewing pubs through a particular lens. Specifically, he laments the proliferation of social media influencers who hype up a few businesses just because it looks pretty. Fallon wants to make the case that this obsession too easily forgets why and how often we really need our local pubs.
“This veneration of a handful of places, this ranking system, is often driven by aesthetics rather than any appreciation of what the pub is. Something doesn’t have to be the best to be important. It has to be part of its community. If you’ve had the worst day in your life the nearest pub is probably the best pub.” – Donal Fallon
Fallon celebrates the spirit of warmth that lies at the heart of the idea of a pub, or public house, as a shared space. Lastly, he emphasizes how these businesses create community in diverse neighborhoods.
“Our society is becoming segmented into different interest groups so it’s important to have these places to interact across class and gender lines. In the pub it’s OK to express emotion in a certain way and to grab someone and hug them.” – Perry Share
This decrease of the traditional pub is indicative of wider societal shifts. The community and sense of belonging that these spaces help foster are more important than ever, as our communities continue to fray and become disconnected.
Lee Miller’s iconic photographs of Dublin’s Palace Bar for Vogue in the 1940s capture the vibrant atmosphere once found in these establishments. Today, however, the landscape has shifted. Our communities are built on the memories and stories held within these walls—stories that are in danger of being lost forever as closures continue to stack up.