Irish pub
In
History
Irish pubs have existed for roughly a millennium, with the title "oldest pub in Ireland" held by Seáns Bar in Athlone, County Westmeath which was established in the 10th century. The Brazen Head in Dublin City was established in 1198 and holds the title "oldest pub in Dublin". It was not until 1635 that the government required pubs to be licensed.[1] Grace Neill's in Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland, which became licensed in 1611, holds the title of "oldest licensed pub in Ireland".[1] Irish pubs or public houses were the working man's alternative to the private drinking establishments frequented by those who could pay for entry.[2] In 1735 the Drink on Credit to Servants Act was enacted stating that any publican who sold a drink on credit to servants, labourers or other low-wage earners had no right to seek help from the law in recovering that debt. It is the oldest law related to pubs in Ireland that is still in effect. During the 18th century, it also became illegal to be married in a pub.[1]
Irish pubs underwent a major transformation during the 19th century when a growing
Unlike their
In Ireland
The vast majority of pubs on the island of 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.
Following the introduction of smoking bans in the Republic of Ireland (in 2004) and Northern Ireland (in 2007) many pubs offer enclosed and often heated outdoor smoking areas.
Northern Ireland
Pubs in
Culture and etiquette
For centuries, the Irish public house has been an integral part of Irish social culture. In Ireland the local pub is a pillar of the community the same way the local church would be.[8] 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.[2] There is generally a very close and mutual understanding and informality between the customer and the staff and, in many cases, particularly in country pubs, virtually all of the regular customers will know each other very well.[2][7] That warm and friendly atmosphere extends to outsiders as well and it is not uncommon for strangers or tourists to be drawn into conversations with locals. In addition to the casual social atmosphere, hearty food and drink, sports, and traditional Irish music are hallmarks of pub culture. Food is usually simple and traditional featuring classic Irish dishes like Irish stew, boxty, and Irish soda bread.[7] Drinks include a variety of spirits and beers on tap but one can certainly expect Guinness and Irish whiskey such as Bushmills or Jameson. Irish pubs with televisions frequently show Gaelic games such as Gaelic football or hurling.[9] While not all Irish pubs will feature live Irish music, it is an important part of the culture.
The etiquette in Irish pubs varies from place to place. Generally speaking, however, it is never necessary to tip staff. 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. In addition, unless there are waiters, patrons must order their drinks at the bar, pay the bartender and bring drinks to their seats.[8] It is traditional that, when with a group, patrons take turns buying rounds of drinks for the group as a whole. It is considered bad manners for patrons to leave before buying their round of drinks.[8] The traditional Irish toast is "Sláinte" (SLAWN-chuh) which is the Irish language equivalent of "cheers".[7]
Traditional Irish music
Around the world
North America
Irish pubs are common in the United States and most cities have some representation of Irish pub culture. Many examples of these pubs date back to the early 20th century or mid to late 19th century and some 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 new wave of Irish pubs can be attributed to the
While many pubs are still owned by individuals of Irish origin, the vast majority of new Irish pubs being opened are owned by American or Canadian restaurant operators who recognise the very attractive business model and the potential return on investment. In an industry where profit margins can be low, margins[clarification needed] in Irish pubs are significantly higher than those achieved within the mainstream casual-dining sector, achieved by focusing on beverage sales over 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 and Bennigan'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.[13]
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
Worldwide
There are an estimated 7,000 Irish themed pubs worldwide. They have been criticised for a lack of authenticity. They are particularly prevalent wherever expatriate communities are found, arguably due to a sense of connection to the Irish diaspora.[15]
While pubs run by Irish emigrants have existed for centuries, the Irish theme pub is estimated to date from 1991, when the Irish Pub Company opened its first outlet in a scheme backed by the brewer Guinness. The Irish Pub Company opened 2,000 pubs across Europe between 1992 and 1999. They have establishments in over 53 countries around the world.[16]
Tourism
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.[2][17]
See also
- List of public house topics
- Australian pub
- Holy Hour#Slang meaning
References
- ^ a b c Bunbury, Turtyle (April 2007). "A Pint-Sized History of the Irish Pub". Turtlebunbury.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "A Sweet Little History of Irish Pubs and Pub Tour of Ireland Advice". Tenontours.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ "Photographic image of pub frontage" (JPG). Karott.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "The Road to McCarthy". Fethard.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "The Carlisle Experiment – limiting alcohol in wartime". The National Archives blog. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "The Irish Times". 29 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Pubs: Ireland's Watering Holes by Rick Steves | ricksteves.com". Ricksteves.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ a b c "Irish Pub Culture and Pub Life". GaelicMatters.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Pubs in Ireland – Irish Culture & Traditions". YourIrish.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ "Our Story – The Irish Pub Company | Pub Design experts, providing original concepts and design advice". The Irish Pub Company | Pub Design experts, providing original concepts and design advice. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "The Guinness Pub Concept". Ballance Hospitality. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "Why You Can Find an Irish Pub Almost Anywhere on Earth". mensjournal.com. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Zeldes, Leah A. (10 March 2010). "'Irish' food in Chicago isn't quite so in Ireland". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ Kelly, Jon (22 May 2014). "Even Ulan Bator has Irish pubs". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Why You Can Find an Irish Pub Almost Anywhere on Earth". Mensjournal.com. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ "Culinary Odyssey". Cordondorcuisine.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
Bibliography
- Kumin, Beat A. & Tlusty, Ann (2002) The World of the Tavern: public houses in early modern Europe. Aldershot: Ashgate ISBN 0-7546-0341-5
- Irwin, Colin (2004) In Search of the Craic: one man's pub crawl through Irish music. London: André Deutsch ISBN 0-233-00095-X
- Ireland's "Crack" Habit
- Publin | Dublin's pub guide – Publin.ie
Further reading
- McGovern, Mark (2002). "The 'Craic' Market: Irish Theme Bars and the Commodification of Irishness in Contemporary Britain". Irish Journal of Sociology. 11 (2): 77–98. S2CID 148857896.
- Margaret Scanlan: Culture and Customs of Ireland, Greenwood Publishing Group 2006, )
- Cian Molloy: The story of the Irish pub: An intoxicating history of the licensed trade in Ireland. Liffey Press 2002, ISBN 1-904148-13-1
- James Fennell, Turtle Bunbury: The Irish Pub. James & Hudson 2008, ISBN 978-0-500-51428-3
- Bill Barich: A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub. Bloomsbury Publishing 2009, ISBN 978-1-4088-0141-3