Pub owners relying on October 22 reopening for survival

Michael Farrell, owner, Farrell's Summerfield Bar, Youghal, Co Cork.

Ireland’s pub sector is being decimated by the pandemic, according to a leading publican.

And if restrictions are not lifted as planned next Friday, it will affect the badly hit industry even harder.

Michael Farrell says up to 20% of the country’s 7,000 or so publicans will be out of business by the end of next year.

And, the Vintners' Federation of Ireland Cork County executive board member warned, few of those 1,400 or so pubs will ever reopen.

Pub owners are, he said, only surviving by living off their savings and the Government's pandemic supports.

Once government support is lifted next March, it'll be “sink or swim” time for the industry, he added.

His grim assessment comes as rising Covid-19 stats are putting in jeopardy the country’s plan for pubs to be opened fully from October 22.

Nightclubs are also due to open from that date.

At the moment, all pubs and restaurants have to be cleared of customers by 11.30pm.

Service is restricted to tables with up to a maximum of six adults and up to nine minors and there are no bar stools.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said on Wednesday that he could not guarantee society would reopen fully as planned on October 22.

Health chiefs are due to make a decision on full reopening on Monday evening, with the Cabinet due to make a decision on Tuesday.

Mr Farrell, who runs the popular Summerfield Bar in Youghal, Co Cork, said: “It’s just not financially viable for a lot of pubs to remain open as long as they used to.

“Unfortunately, people are not back fully yet and pubs are just reducing their opening hours as a result because they just don't have the business.

“So they're trying to just keep an eye on the costs.

“Obviously people have adapted to a new lifestyle during the pandemic but also, there is still a cohort of people out there who are still nervous of picking up the virus."

He says pubs should be able to put back the bar stools and end mandatory table service but just restrict their custom to people who can show they have been vaccinated.

"We are unfortunately going to be seeing the real hemorrhaging once the government supports go," he said.

A lot of the small rural pubs are trying to stick it out as long as they can, and they are hoping the trade will come back, but unfortunately, for a lot of them, it won't come back fully.

"So, it just won't be viable for them to stay in business.

"They haven't all gone already but I imagine we're looking at between 10% and 20% of the country's pubs will just go out of business in the next two years."

Ray Aughey, who owns the Squealing Pig in Monaghan, is hoping the Government will agree to carry on with plans to fully reopen pubs..

“They should just get on with it and have a leap of faith in people and our industry,” he said.

“They have to take a chance. They have to open us up at some stage.

"They can't keep us closed forever."