The pub is dead! long live the pub!

The Pontiac

I was in the pub tonight. The place was half empty, no craic, no smoking, silly prices and a barmaid who refused to serve us at 12:40. Now, this is a country pub and it's fcuking immoral.

I'm a bit too young to remember the recession of the 80's. But surely you could go to the pub for some solace, meet friends, game of cards etc.?

I know people have fcuk all money to spend, but even the days of calling for 'one' is long gone. What the **** like?

Now it seems there's nowhere to run.. Did fianna fail leave anything at all?

el_tiddlero

zudo wrote: »

Did fianna fail leave anything at all?

no.

Overheal

zudo wrote: »

it's fcuking immoral.

You have got to get your priorities straight.

Jesus Wept

more drink!

4zn76tysfajdxp

Maybe people have realised that spending what little money they have on alcohol isn't the wisest thing in the world?

i pretty much agree.. not much character left to country pubs

Jesus Wept

MOAR DRINK!

The Pontiac

The-Rigger wrote: »

more drink!

The-Rigger wrote: »

MOAR DRINK!

Cheers lads. I've a half bottle of brandy yet..

Jesus Wept

zudo wrote: »

Cheers lads.

lol, fair play Zudo!
I'll run around the room and make it seem like there's a crowd!

Overheal

The-Rigger wrote: »

lol, fair play Zudo!
I'll run around the room and make it seem like there's a crowd!

Or you could travel back in time a lot and make a bunch of quantum copies of yourself.

Then you ARE the crowd.

Jesus Wept

Seems a waste of energy considering he already thinks I'm two people! :P

The Pontiac

The-Rigger wrote: »

lol, fair play Zudo!
I'll run around the room and make it seem like there's a crowd!

I don't look at the usernames when I'm replying to this stuff. Especially when I'm pissed.

joey54

Whose responsible for those pubs adds? You the annoying ones always rambling on about going to your local!

MagicMarker

Who the fúck plays cards in the pub?

Overheal

yea if you play cards at a pub, it immediately becomes a bar. or a saloon. i forget.

Kiera

I'm just back from Marbella where a Corona is €3 compared to €5.50 here. We're gettin ripped off and people are finally doing something (or not as the case may be) about it.

I'm glad the pubs are half empty, maybe now they'll cop on and bring the price of drink down.

Mossy Monk

They closed the bar at 12.30? Heaven forbid.

SoupyNorman

Kiera wrote: »

I'm glad the pubs are half empty, maybe now they'll cop on and bring the price of drink down.

Every drink is €3(even large cider) from 4pm-10pm on Saturday nights in the local. The place is out the door with people fuelling up before the nightclub, the owners make a killing till ten and then the normal Sat night crowd is left.

The unfathomable thing is that another pub in the town reported it to the Vintners...they're doing it anyway as they say it's being done for survival. A few months back the pub that reported it was buying it's Miller in Tescos as they were serving the twistcap bottles, they stopped as the customers were disgusted at their cheek.


What is the deal with regulatory bodies in this country (ESB/Taxi/Pub), they seem to contradict the basic laws of economics and put prices up or disallow competitive practices when most needed.

DrumSteve

joey54 wrote: »

Whose responsible for those pubs adds? You the annoying ones always rambling on about going to your local!

that would be the VFI.

i was trying to think of something funny to explain what the VFI means... but ah its escapes me.

anyway its the vinters federation or ireland.

in a strange co-incidience the vinters federation of ireland is actually an anagram for shower of robbing bastards.

Biggins

zudo wrote: »

I was in the pub tonight. The place was half empty, no craic, no smoking, silly prices and a barmaid who refused to serve us at 12:40. Now, this is a country pub and it's fcuking immoral.

I'm a bit too young to remember the recession of the 80's. But surely you could go to the pub for some solace, meet friends, game of cards etc.?

I know people have fcuk all money to spend, but even the days of calling for 'one' is long gone. What the **** like?

Now it seems there's nowhere to run.. Did fianna fail leave anything at all?

Nope, they are on their merry way to destroy everything - but let us not forget to vote for them!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Sorry, as soon as I am finished giving out about them closing down children's wards in Crumlin, I'll get around to other disasters!

TheZohanS

SoupyNorman wrote: »

What is the deal with regulatory bodies in this country (ESB/Taxi/Pub), they seem to contradict the basic laws of economics and put prices up or disallow competitive practices when most needed.

Couldn't agree with you more, especially taxi drivers. Many a night I was out in town and a taxi would pull up and ask you where you wanted to go, if it didn't suit them they'd drive off. You drive a taxi FFS, it's not a skilled job, anyone with a licence and a car can do it.

Rented Mule

MagicMarker wrote: »

Who the fúck plays cards in the pub?

Going to guess you live in the city.

The Pontiac

MagicMarker wrote: »

Who the fúck plays cards in the pub?

Mostly the old folk. It's a country thing by the sounds of it, but I don't see it at all now. Twas always great joining in and taking all their pension money. Seriously though, nothing like a good aul game of poker in the pub.

Mossy Monk wrote: »

They closed the bar at 12.30? Heaven forbid.

Well they stoped serving at this time. The gardai don't care what time we stop drinking as long as there's no hassle, noise etc. Like we're all adults. It was always around 2am in the past before we'd get the boot. The new owners have different ideas though.

themadchef

MagicMarker wrote: »

Who the fúck plays cards in the pub?

Male auld wans: Pontoon, 25, Solo
Female auld wans: Whist
Male and female young wans: Texas hold em, 5 card draw, (SNAP.. for shed loads of money when completly rat arsed).


Seriously MM you need to get out of the city for a while (and bring cash or a couple of virgins, im sure i could get you into a decent game :pac:)

FlutterinBantam

I shed no tears at all for the publicans.

They bled us dry when they could and now are whinging .

Smoking ban was the best thing ever happened, no more could the "extended family" two fat auld wans in pink crimplene,two fat auld fellas with saggy balls, and a couple of young wans park at a fcukin table ,plank the 20 packs of Johhnie Blue with the lighter attached with an elastic band and proceed to suck on fags till closing time.

fcukin hair/clothes/body stunk of smoke at the end of the night.

Somebody want's that shít back!!!

Charge reasonable prices or you will close down you robbers

gizmo

zudo wrote: »

I was in the pub tonight. The place was half empty, no craic, no smoking, silly prices and a barmaid who refused to serve us at 12:40. Now, this is a country pub and it's fcuking immoral.

I'm a bit too young to remember the recession of the 80's. But surely you could go to the pub for some solace, meet friends, game of cards etc.?

I know people have fcuk all money to spend, but even the days of calling for 'one' is long gone. What the **** like?

Now it seems there's nowhere to run.. Did fianna fail leave anything at all?

So let me get this straight, you want the smoking law to be abolished and drinking hours to be extended. Fair enough, however these are not reasons to blame FF as I'd put money on that any party in power would have made the same decisions. The rest of the rant is pointless as it has nothing to do with the government and all to do with the publicans ripping us off.

Oh and...

Overheal wrote: »

You have got to get your priorities straight.

Firetrap

I think the thing's that harmed country pubs more than urban ones is the drink driving issue. I don't believe for one second that just because someone has to get up and go outside the door for 5 minutes to smoke a fag that they're going to stay home. No, it's the cost of the drink and the issue of how the hell you're going to get home.

SoWatchaWant

Maybe people will start going to pubs earlier... I'd be all up for that.

Firetrap

And maybe the publicans will stop having poxy DJs or man and guitar playing music that's so loud you can feel your fillings rattle.

The Pontiac

gizmo wrote: »

So let me get this straight, you want the smoking law to be abolished and drinking hours to be extended. Fair enough, however these are not reasons to blame FF as I'd put money on that any party in power would have made the same decisions. The rest of the rant is pointless as it has nothing to do with the government and all to do with the publicans ripping us off.

It wasn't really a rant at all to be fair. I started the thread when I came home from a half empty pub with no atmosphere. I was simply commenting on the change/death of the Irish pub. And you say it's nothing at all to do with the goverment? The goverment have played a huge part tbo...

Despite 1500 pubs been closed down in the last few years, Irish people are still paying the highest prices for alcohol in Europe. Beer sold in Ireland has the highest excise in the EU, while cider and spirits are the second highest. Wine was already subject to the highest excise in Europe before the Government increased the price of every bottle by 50 cent last October.

This is an industy that employs over 100,000 people, and I think the goverment has played a huge part in it's demise.

Guy:Incognito

Kiera wrote: »

I'm just back from Marbella where a Corona is €3 compared to €5.50 here. We're gettin ripped off and people are finally doing something (or not as the case may be) about it.
.

How much was the guy in he bar earning?

SoupyNorman wrote: »

What is the deal with regulatory bodies in this country (ESB/Taxi/Pub), they seem to contradict the basic laws of economics and put prices up or disallow competitive practices when most needed.

The taxi regulator sets a MAX fare. It's up to the drivers if they want to charge the full whack that they are allowed. If you want to moan about someone moan about the drivers not reducign their fares.

gizmo wrote: »

So let me get this straight, you want the smoking law to be abolished and drinking hours to be extended. Fair enough, however these are not reasons to blame FF as I'd put money on that any party in power would have made the same decisions. ...

Dont forget a return to drink drivign being allowed/encouraged.

Firetrap wrote: »

And maybe the publicans will stop having poxy DJs or man and guitar playing music that's so loud you can feel your fillings rattle.

Up to a few months back I used to head over to my uncles local every week or two an go out with a few memebrs of my family for a drink and a chat. They have some poxy"band" (a guy and a guitar or a guy with another guy player keyboard) in every week on a saturday that blare **** music as loud as the amps they have will allow. We had to use the 5 min intervals an the 30 minsdrink up time at the end of the night to talk, it was horrendous. We all stopped going for that reason alone. It's ridiculous.

zudo wrote: »

Despite 1500 pubs been closed down in the last few years, Irish people are still paying the highest prices for alcohol in Europe. Beer sold in Ireland has the highest excise in the EU, while cider and spirits are the second highest. Wine was already subject to the highest excise in Europe before the Government increased the price of every bottle by 50 cent last October.
.

Are you honestly tryign to say the pubs are selling the alcohol as cheap as they possibly can and its only the government increases that are keeping prices where they are?

Seriously?

SoupyNorman

Stekelly wrote: »

The taxi regulator sets a MAX fare. It's up to the drivers if they want to charge the full whack that they are allowed. If you want to moan about someone moan about the drivers not reducign their fares.

I dont have a clue what you're on about, the regulator sets the fares, there is a 'max' fare depending on time and day. Every taxi trip is metered so how in gods name can a taxi driver reduce his fares.

Forgive me if I'm missing a trick here

gizmo

Stekelly wrote: »

Are you honestly tryign to say the pubs are selling the alcohol as cheap as they possibly can and its only the government increases that are keeping prices where they are?

Seriously?

This was my point, sure we have a high level of excise duty on alcohol but it's the publicans who have been pulling the piss for the last few years as far as I'm concerned. Everything from the price of spirits to the hilarious price of mixers indicates that they are just trying to get as much money as they can from their customers. Unfortunately for them people now have a less money to be throwing around on entertainment and they're feeling the pinch so instead of lowering their prices they just jump on the blame the government for everything bandwagon.

Guy:Incognito

SoupyNorman wrote: »

I dont have a clue what you're on about, the regulator sets the fares, there is a 'max' fare depending on time and day. Every taxi trip is metered so how in gods name can a taxi driver reduce his fares.

Forgive me if I'm missing a trick here

The tax regulator sets the maximum fare a taxi is allowed to charge. They dont have to charge that much, but the vast majority do (theres a dublin taxi co doing 10% off or somesuch as a promotion atm). The taxi driver could charge you 10c for a 1 hour, 50 mile trip if he wants.

Ya-Boy-Ya

I can tell you now.... Pubs in this country are ****ed and its not due to publicans being greedy

Union rates for barmen/women are not on par anymore with turnover.
Sky/setanta tv rates for commercial contracts is a joke also no longer viable

In the good days the government put up the price of drink at every budget so it only stands to reason they should take it down in the economic downturn or "the Local" in this country is finished.

As usual itll take a few years for our slow government to realise this and sadly by then the decent locals will be gone and most places will look like shanty towns!

Rebelheart

zudo wrote: »

I was in the pub tonight. The place was half empty, no craic, no smoking, silly prices and a barmaid who refused to serve us at 12:40. Now, this is a country pub and it's fcuking immoral.

I'm a bit too young to remember the recession of the 80's. But surely you could go to the pub for some solace, meet friends, game of cards etc.?

I know people have fcuk all money to spend, but even the days of calling for 'one' is long gone. What the **** like?

Now it seems there's nowhere to run.. Did fianna fail leave anything at all?

The demise of these so-called "traditional Irish pubs" can not come fast enough. It is virtually impossible to find a pub without a telly in this country. Usually, you have more than one telly with various programmes on it - and a radio as well - as publicans try to be all things to all men and sacrifice any tradition or distinctiveness about their watering hole in the process. Noise, noise, and more noise all from a tube which distinguishes itself in particular by its incessant transmission of English soccer night after night.

I miss my local. I miss the quietness of my local, I really, really miss it. I miss the quiet chats over a couple of pints, and I miss surprises like musicians just walking in with their instruments and playing unobtrusively in the corner without microphones or other deafening contraptions: if I want to hear them, I can move closer to them. Nothing is imposed upon me in that case. Technology, in contrast, bellows upon my night at every turn.

One of the many painful things about this recent development in the Irish pub business is that the publicans actually think they are smart, intelligent people by turning up the volume because then we drink more. They have shot themselves in the foot. The "traditional Irish pub" is a miserably noisy, intrusive and an especially unwelcoming place for people like me who love nothing better than to talk with friends over a few pints in the quiet corner of a pub. That should be a simple pleasure without other peoples personal choices - such as watching soccer at a blaring noise level - being imposed upon me. Individuality? Freedom? Where is it now in Irish pubs?


Never mind their prices; on the above grounds alone failure couldn't happen to a more worthy sector of Irish society than the publicans responsible for the abysmal decline in the quality and character of Irish pubs. I now rejoice at their suicidal business models, I really really do.

The Pontiac

gizmo wrote: »

This was my point, sure we have a high level of excise duty on alcohol but it's the publicans who have been pulling the piss for the last few years as far as I'm concerned. Everything from the price of spirits to the hilarious price of mixers indicates that they are just trying to get as much money as they can from their customers. Unfortunately for them people now have a less money to be throwing around on entertainment and they're feeling the pinch so instead of lowering their prices they just jump on the blame the government for everything bandwagon.

I've never once got charged for a mixer in my local. There's always a bottle of red or white on the counter to help yourself.

People in the cities quite willingly paid these stupid prices during the celtic tiger years. I'm always amazed at the difference in prices between my local and Cork city. But ironically, it's mostly the country pubs that are closing down.

If I was a publican in the City during the good times, I'd have done exactly the same thing. Why weren't people so focal about the inflated prices in the good times?

For or against the smoking ban, it really doesn't matter, but it had detrimental effect on the country pub trade.

The government killed the pub.

gizmo

Red and white is one thing, coke is a another. The fact that they charged up to, and sometimes above, €3 for a bottle of whatever is where the problem was. Even with the introduction of the mixer taps lots of places still charged between 80c and €1.20 for a mixer, still a complete and utter rip off. The government had nothing to do with this.

And as a point of comparison, I'm over in Scotland at the moment. The smoking ban is in place, the closing hours are just as restricted if not even more so than at home and the pub trade is still fine. Sure it's somewhat diminished due to the current crunch but it's nowhere near as bad as back home. And do you want to know why? It's because you can walk into a pub and get a pint for under £3, you can get a spirit for less than that and you can double up for an extra £1 in most places. If pubs at home were to attempt prices like that then we'd see how detrimental the smoking ban really is to their business.