Thirty pubs go to wall in Longford, new figures show

Almost a third, or approximately eight of those occurredsince 2019, underlining the impact of Covid-19 on the local pub trade.
The figures are contained in a new report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI).

According to its findings, Longford incurred the ninth highest fall-off (26.5 per cent) in pubs during the 2005 to 2022 period.

The Irish Pub: Supporting our communities report recorded 450 pub closures nationally since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with the greatest decreases seen in more rural parts of the country compared with Dublin.

Leading experts have blamed the downward trend on the greater financial exposure predominanly rural pubs face in the midst of smaller local markets and population bases.

“There are many reasons for the decline in the number of public houses in Ireland, economic and social,” said economist and Associate Professor Emeritus, DCU Anthony Foley.

“The cause and impact of these closures requires full consideration given the knock-on impact it has on the fabric of local communities as social outlets. The loss of hundreds of these local businesses, employers, purchasers and community hubs has repercussions, particularly in more rural communities across the country.

“The Irish pub is a significant component of the tourism infrastructure and the tourism experience which is based on hospitality and service provision. There are now 1,937 less locations for visitors to find and benefit from services such as food and entertainment.

“If we are to challenge this trend, we must look at factors which influence the viability of these businesses, particularly those costs over which the government has direct control. Excise duty is one such cost. Addressing the excessively high excise duty in Ireland compared to other countries would have a positive effect on the viability of small pubs.”