VFI Chief Executive Padraig Cribben and President, Pat Crotty pictured at the Annual Conference of the VFI in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone

88% of Irish people want to see pub culture preserved

As over 400 publicans from all over the country gather in Athlone today for the 44th annual Conference of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, a new survey has revealed that an overwhelming 88% of Irish people want to see pub culture and heritage preserved, while 62% believe that the pub plays a pivotal role in local communities across Ireland.

Research conducted by the Vintners Federation among some 1,500 Irish people and tourists concludes that we retain a deep affinity for the Irish pub as a social hub at the heart of local communities. The pub is also seen as being a very important element of the tourist package on offer to overseas visitors, with 88% of all visitors to Ireland spending some of their time here in a pub.

Reflecting the changing nature of the Irish pub, 47% of respondents to the VFI survey said they frequent the pub to enjoy a meal, while 80% of those who visit the pub stated the main reason for doing so was to meet up with family and friends. 52% of respondents said they visit the pub at least once a week. Staff friendliness ranked as the most important factor for people visiting a pub, closely followed by quality of service, cleanliness and availablility of food.

Commenting on the findings, Pat Crotty, President of the VFI, described them as “very uplifting for the trade” and said it was “abundantly clear that the passion for the pub among Irish people is as strong as ever.” However, he added that the vintners needed to “move with the times, adapt to ever-changing consumer demands and ensure we are giving people a reason to visit the pub.”

Mr. Crotty was keen to emphasise the importance of the Irish pub to our tourism infrastructure, and noted the fact that 31% of tourists who visited an Irish pub did so for music and entertainment, while other enjoyable aspects were experiencing the 'craic' (30%) and meeting Irish people (28%).

Despite an overall air of positivity, the head of the VFI pointed to the many challenges facing the pub trade, including the threat from Brexit; the continued rise in excise duty on wine, beer, spirits and cider; the cost of public liability insurance and the cost of commercial and water rates.;

The two-day VFI annual Conference will conclude in the Radisson Blu Hotel until tomorrow evening (Wednesday).