Anger as pubs hiked prices for Triple Crown

IRELAND’S Triple Crown glory came at a price for the pint drinker as 60% of pubs surveyed near Lansdowne Road hiked up their charges on the day of the match.

The largest increase on the day was €1 added to the price of a pint of stout at Maguire’s, Lower Baggot Street. On Friday last, the day before the match, a pint drinker in Maguire’s would have been charged €3.90. The next day the same beverage was €4.90 a pint.

Director of Consumer Affairs Carmel Foley has expressed anger at the rugby weekend survey results. Inspectors working for her office were sent to the pubs near Lansdowne Road on Friday and also on the Saturday when Ireland historically beat Scotland.

The comparison of the inspectors’ findings over the two days made sobering reading. Ms Foley stressed there had been no legislation breach as the prices were on display.

This is all publicans have to do to remain inside the law. “Consumers should, however, be made aware of this practice,” Ms Foley said. At Doheny & Nesbitts the price of the pint of stout was increased from €3.90 to €4.10, with the same matchday increase being applied to the pint of ale.

Maguire’s put an extra €1 on the pint of ale and increased the pint of lager and cider from €4.30 to €4.60.

Larry Murphy’s charged an extra 10 cent on the pint. Waterloo House added an extra 40 cent on stout and ale. The Wellington charged an extra 50 cent on a pint of stout, ale and lager, with 40 cent extra on cider.

The 51 pub put an additional 40 cent on the price of all pints.

“Customers may also be interested in the pubs which did not display increased prices,” Ms Foley stated. These were Toners, Searson’s, Lansdowne House and Beggar’s Bush.