Stag changes hands - but nothing else

IN the Stag’s Head pub they raised glasses in thanksgiving as the news came through.

There was a strong sense of relief. After becoming the owner of the landmark Dublin institution for €5.8 million yesterday, Louis Fitzgerald declared: “It’s a ready-made pub for over 100 years - I’m not going to change that.”

The pub dates back to 1763, however, it was refurbished in 1895 and the three-story red brick structure stands as a grade-one listed building.