A pint in two bottles - that’s €12, please
As I arrived first, I bought the first round - a pint of Guinness and a pint of Budweiser. I got a euro and a few coins back from €10. Expensive, but what do you expect in Dublin city centre?
Next we took ourselves to another pub not too far away. The two pints were roughly the same price.
We then went to a particular favourite of mine, though I had not been there in a while. Like the other two pubs it is on the fringes of the city centre.
My friend decided he wanted a Bulmer’s cider rather than a Guinness, and I went to the bar to order. I asked for a pint of Bulmers and a pint of Budweiser.
“We don’t do pints of anything,” said the jolly bar person, “except for Guinness. Everything else is in bottles.”
“Oh,” says I, and duly ordered a bottle of Bulmers and a bottle of Budweiser. Soon the two bottles arrived on a tray with a receipt. I picked up the receipt and could hardly believe my eyes. The bottles, each consisting of half a pint, cost a whacking €6 each. That’s €12 a pint!
It seems that publicans are no longer content to make a good living; they now feel the need to fleece their customers in what I can only imagine is an endeavour to become even wealthier.
When is the Government going to do something about gross overcharging? If the Government were to fine establishments which overcharge, they would not only be serving the public the way they should be, but they would be making an absolute fortune into the bargain. Needless to say, we only stayed for the one bottle and won’t be returning.
I urge people to make a point of staying away from pubs like these. It’s the only way to bring prices down.
After all, if publicans were forced to bring prices down, they’d still be making a much better living than most of the rest of us.
Sheelagh Sheridan
1 Belgree Square
Tyrrelstown
Dublin 15
