130 pubs have closed their doors in county Mayo since 2005, with 35 of these closures occurring since 2019

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland’s ( DIGI's ) analysis shows Irish pub decline has reached a rate of 23%, that’s just under 2,000 pubs over the 17 years studied. 

While analysis shows the rate of decline in rural pubs has accelerated further since the Covid-19 pandemic.

An average of 114 pubs a year, are closing their doors across the country, with that figure rising to 152 pubs per year since 2019, with a disproportionate impact in more rural areas. 

There has been an increase in pub closures in every county in the country according to this latest report. The largest number was seen in Limerick with 32% less pubs in the county since 2005, followed in second place by county Roscommon, showing a 30 percent drop in working pubs.

DIGI is calling on the Government to ease the cost burden on regional small and family-run businesses to ensure their sustainability by reducing Ireland’s high alcohol excise tax over the next two years.   

Although all 26 counties experienced a decline in the number of public houses during the 2005 to 2022 period, the lowest decrease was in Dublin at 3%.  

According to an economic and social analysis of the numbers found in the DIGI report, economist Anthony Foley says that while public houses play a particularly important role in contributing to the communities in Ireland’s towns, villages and rural areas, smaller local markets and populations mean many pubs in regional counties operate on tight margins marking them more at-risk of closure. ” The 6,680 pubs operating across the country are at the cultural and social heart of their communities, supporting social relationships and, community cohesion and social capital and reduce the risk of isolation”, he claims.

DIGI is the umbrella organisation for the wider drinks and hospitality industry in Ireland.