A new report has found that 2,205 or one-in-four of Irish pubs have closed since 2005.
The report which was conducted by economist Anthony Foley and on behalf of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) revealed that on average 110 pubs in Ireland have closed every year since 2005.
This report includes all 26 southern counties between 2005 and 2025.
The highest decrease was in Limerick (-37%) and was closely followed by Offaly (-34%) Cork (-33%) Roscommon (-32.3%), Tipperary (-32.0%), Laois (-30.6%), Longford (-30.1%) and Westmeath (-30.0%).
The smallest drop was found in Dublin at 1%, with Wicklow following at 9%.
DIGI stated that the high cost of doing business was a major contributory factor to the alarming rate of pub closures recorded in the report.
They warned that without immediate action by the Government "many villages and small towns will soon lose their last remaining pub which would deal a devastating blow to the economic and social fabric of that community."
Speaking on the report, author Professor Tony Foley said: “This report reveals a pattern of pub closures across Ireland, particularly in rural Ireland in recent years. The addition of profound economic uncertainty through US trade tariffs and reduced levels of inbound tourism further threaten the financial foundations of family-owned pubs across the country. In the absence of government intervention, we are likely to see a further 600 to 1,000 pubs close over the coming decade.”
DIGI secretary, Donall O’Keeffe stated that once pubs are closed, they "rarely re-open," and will leave communities without a "vital community and tourism hub."
A report conducted by DIGI in August revealed that a pint of beer purchased in a pub in Ireland "attracts an excise duty of €0.55 compared to just €0.05 in Spain and Germany."
Similarly, Ireland imposes €11.92 in excise duty on a 70cl bottle of whiskey, compared with just €2.69 in Spain and €3.65 in Germany.
