Rural Irish pubs are closing at an alarming rate due to the smoke ban, increased utility costs and other pressures.
That's the message from former president of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, Seamus O'Donoghue.
He told the Independent: "We have seen post offices and shops closing down in many rural areas and now we are afraid the same thing is happening to pubs."
O'Donoghue says the trail of closures includes more than 70 pubs in County Cork, more than 50 in Galway, more than 40 each in Limerick, Mayo and Tipperary.
Steven Cassidy, who two years ago sold his pub in Gortahork, a remote part of Donegal, told the paper: "A lot of my trade would have been old regular people.
"There's a lot of old men that worked the land, farmers that make a living from the peat bog. A lot of that would be day-time drinking but that's a thing of the past now.
"There was the clampdown on drink-driving, plus the smoking ban stopped a lot of the old-timers."
Describing the new drinking patterns ha said: "A lot of them are sitting at home now in mid-week, drinking in the house. A lot of the little rural pubs won't open till six or seven or eight in the evening - there's just nobody there.
"I feel for the older publicans. I just knew it was time to go and I sold the licence. I just thought no, to hell with it."
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Your CommentsRobert Feal-Martinez via email 30/06/2006"We will no doubt have a rebuttal article saying these pubs would have closed anyway. There is not a day that goes by without the knock on effects of a smoking ban affecting peoples lives and their livelyhoods. We still call on the Pubco's and trade bodies to give us financial support. A Judicial Review is the only way to show the whole process is flawed. Freedom to Choose are collating evidence by the day, which will prove the basis of this part of the health bill has been forced through based on fraud and lies. As James Crawford-Prter wrote, this is indeed Labours Poll Tax."
Bob Williams via email 30/06/2006"Robert FM says "We will no doubt have a rebuttal article saying these pubs would have closed anyway."
I was waiting for him and his mates to blame the closure of the rural post offices and shops on the ban."
Sharon Donald via email, 30/06/2006Before drink driving came in we used to drive out to all the surrounding country pubs, and they were lovely realy traditional. This stopped when the ban came in and we now walk to the different pubs in our area. When the smoking ban comes in we wont be doing that either, we will do as a large amount do in Ireland drink at home. There's no doubt that the rural areas will suffer the most. Social Life of people will change of that theres no doubt. Such a shame for customers and publicans.
Bill Gibson via email, 30/06/2006In reply to Bob Williams...you are in for a long wait. We do not have to blame the closure of post offices on the smoking ban...this will happen in time as in many parts of rural Scotland, the Post Office has been incorperated into the local pub. When these close and the visible signs are already there, so will the Post Office.
Liz Barber via email, 01/07/2006The post offices are 'too costly' to maintain and tescos has done for small local shops - and even entire high streets across the uk. If the pubs are closing it is because they can nolonger meet the requirements of thier customers - despite the claims that non smokers would take their place this has clearly been - to use a tired out phrase 'a smokescreen' from those determined to have a total ban instead of sensible choices for all.
Patricia Smyth via email, 01/07/2006The pub owners are not the only trade to find the pinch in today's Ireland. Many farmers are struggling to survive under a barrage of EU legislation. Many have already sold out. And in the specialist trade of antiquarian and second-hand bookselling shops have closed over the past few years in Dublin. It seems that only the building trade and related interests and the motor industry are the thriving sectors of the economy. It is not a very secure foundation for continued economic progress.
Robert Feal-Martinez via email, 01/07/2006And your point is Mr Williams?
There are many reasons for shops and post offices claosing, not the least being Government policy on rate relief. However all I would say about pub closures in Ireland is that I would rather take the word of those actively involved than that of any poltician, sadly whether in Ireland or the UK they cannot be trusted.
Blad Tolstoy via email, 01/07/2006Bob Feal Martinez has it right when he talks about the number of Irish pubs closing - about 600 to date. Add to that the 12,500 jobs lost and the income from inbound tourism lost and we do not have a felicitous picture. On top of that, the news reported by the Irish Office of Tobacco Control plus numerous media sources that there are now an estimated additional 20,000 extra smokers since the ban plus the fact that cigarette and tobacco sales are up 4 -7% means that many people have lost their livelihoods for nothing.
Moreover, I am not sure which message Bob Williams is trying to convey. However, where this great anti-smoking crusade is getting us I am not sure except that it has also resulted in the beginnings of further encroachment into private property rights and individual freedom.
I should like to know then if Bob Williams is one of those who is unconcerned how much real damage (as opposed to legions of fictional dead babies) is caused so long as he achieves a great non smoking Nirvana.
Dave Reay via email, 03/07/2006I am a committee member of my local club, I used to smoke, but have given the habit up by some 3yrs now.
It was'nt easy, But both my wife who is also a ex-smoker and I can see and feel the benefits that come from not smoking.
There seem's to be an awful lot of people that think that the smoking people are going to disappear off the face of the earth when the ban comes in, where are they going to go? Answer - nowhere, they will have to give it up, or stink out their own houses, throw the tab dumps outside of thier own back doors (has anybody else seen the mess and smelt the stink outside the rear and front of most office blocks?).
The medical profesion tell us that smoking kills, there's an expresion, wake up and smell the coffee, many a true word, think about it.
Sharon Donald via email, 03/07/2006There is nothing worse than a born again smoker now a non smoker like Dave Reay just like born again Christians "Ive seen the light, Ive seen the light" they shout, dont do it, forgetting that this was their freedom of choice.
As for smelling the coffee there are more carcinogins in a cup of coffer than in a cigarette, so that says a lot.
This issue about smoking is not what it is all about it's about publicans having the right to choose whether their premises are smoking or non smoking and market forces would determine which pubs prove to be the popular ones. It's funny how governments can't understand what is private property and public property. When they want to bring in a ban private places suddenly become public, even though the public are invited in not forced in. Then they determine the pl