Pilot scheme to turn pubs into cinemas, book clubs and craft shops

Hub talk: Funding of €50,000 has been provided to the Vintners Federation of Ireland, which will select five pubs in Cavan, Kerry, Donegal, Clare and Cork as part of the pilot programme.

A group of five rural pubs will be given state funding to become "community hubs" under a new pilot programme.

Modelled on a similar scheme in the UK, ‘Pubs as Community Hubs’ is designed to utilise pubs during quiet trading times into digital hubs, community cinemas, book clubs, arts and crafts workshops and community meeting spaces.

Funding of €50,000 has been provided to the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), which will select five pubs in Cavan, Kerry, Donegal, Clare and Cork as part of the pilot programme.

The initiative is part of the Department of Rural and Community Development's Our Rural Future plan and Minister Heather Humphreys said it will be expanded if it is successful.

Speaking at The Keeper's Arms pub in Bawnboy, County Cavan, Ms Humphreys said that rural pubs had faced a tough few years.

“The local pub is part of the fabric of rural Ireland. Traditionally down through the years, it’s where people in rural communities have come to meet with their friends and neighbours to socialise.

“In recent years our rural pubs have faced challenges and those challenges were exacerbated further during the pandemic.

This new initiative which I am launching today in collaboration with the Vintners Federation of Ireland is about exploring how the rural pub can be utilised as a space for community activities and services. 

"A similar concept is already being rolled out in parts of the UK – it sees pubs being utilised as digital hubs, community cafes, arts and crafts workshops, libraries and markets for local food producers.

“The possibilities are endless, but the goal is simple – supporting our rural pubs so that they can continue to be a focal point in our rural communities where friends and neighbours can gather for a range of services and activities into the future.”

Community cinema

Sheila and Bryan McKiernan, the proprietors of The Keeper’s Arms in Bawnboy, said they will use the funding to install a community cinema in their pub.

“We hope that the cinema will cater in particular for elderly people during the daytime.

“The nearest cinema in Cavan Town is almost 40kms away so we think there will be strong demand from the local community.

We’re going to be using funding from the pilot programme to secure a projector and screen, new cinema seating and black-out blinds.

“I’ve spoken to local community organisations who fully intend to support the cinema. The general view is that the cinema will promote local community integration and assist with combating rural isolation. 

"Ireland is changing but through initiatives like this the pub can still be at the heart of rural communities – sometimes it just takes a little bit of thinking outside the box.”

Chief executive of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, Padraig Cribben, also welcomed the plan.

“The Pub as Community Hub pilot programme is a fantastic opportunity to examine how pubs will thrive in rural localities well into the future.

“Upon completion, these pilot projects will offer a roadmap for our members as they navigate the coming challenges and opportunities faced by the rural hospitality sector.”