The rise and fall of the Irish pub

The Irish Pub: A time-honoured tradition whose origins are obscured in the mists of ancient times.

For literally centuries this tradition saw very little change as generation after generation of Irishmen attended the local pub to drink, smoke, chat and generally escape from the trials and tribulations of life in an impoverished country on the outskirts of Europe.

Remarkably, in a few decades all that has changed as the birth of the Celtic Tiger catapulted Ireland into world leadership in science and technology bringing with it unheard of wealth and prosperity.

For the first time in its history an Irish Diaspora was reversed and young people returned home with a wealth of experience and innovative concepts.

In a short time they transformed the local pubs from the dark and dreary to the bright and cosmopolitan and for awhile the pub trade rode the Celtic Tiger to similarly dizzying heights.

Superpubs sprang up in the cities and were jammed to the rafters on the weekends with young people who had money to spend.

Meanwhile, outside of Ireland the 'Traditional Irish Pub' became an international commodity recreated in cities and towns all over the world. Unfortunately, this meteoric rise was followed by an equally rapid descent as the combination of stricter drink-driving laws, the smoking ban and an economy that ultimately flamed-out brought the pub trade to its knees. "The Rise and Fall of the Irish Pub" is the story of that journey from dark days into glorious sunshine and back again into darkening shadows.

Since the Irish Pub, like Ireland itself, is remarkably resilient and has prospered for more than two millennia, the author argues that it will undoubtedly be able to reinvent itself requiring further chapters in its long and glorious history.