Rural pubs need ‘urgent’ action to stop their decline

Researchers who have spent the last year examining the importance of the rural Irish pub to its local community have concluded that, given their economic importance, it is "urgent" that steps be taken to address the decline of the venues.

The academic study by the University of York and Newcastle Business School found that the rural pub generates €60.7m in wages, injects €2.1m into the local supply chains and spends approximately €600 a month in local businesses.

The survey, which was prepared for the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), selected 1,744 pubs for survey on the basis that they were in parishes with a resident population of less than 3,000 and were located at least five miles or ten minutes’ drive from parishes with a population of 5,000 and above.