Irish pub’s emotional Christmas ad gives John Lewis a run for its money

Nina McLaughlin

For many years, it has been John Lewis who have won the hearts of viewers with their Christmas ads, but recently their run of hits seems to have come to an end.

This year’s tale of Snapper the Venus fly trap was praised for its lighthearted take on the holiday season, but for many fans it left a lot to be desired.

However, there seems to be a new challenger to the retail giant’s tearjerker productions.

A new Christmas ad from Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, has left viewers in tears after it was shared to social media earlier this week.

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A post shared by Irish Traditional Live Music Pub, Enniskillen (@charliesbarenniskillen)

Irish pub rivals John Lewis for best Christmas ad

The clip begins with an elderly man coming out of his house with a bunch of flowers, which he then brings to the grave of a presumed loved one.

The ad then cuts to the man making his way down the high street, where he looks for social interaction with other members of the public for him to only be ignored.

However, as he makes his way down the road, he stops at the entrance of Charlie’s Bar, where a couple with a dog also stop and let him in before them.

Once inside, the man orders a pint of Guinness from the cheerful barman, and finds that the couple’s dog jumps up to sit next to him at his table.

Straight away, the couple ask if they could join too, and soon enough the trio are cheersing and getting to know one another.

The ad finished with a poignant quote from Irish poet W.B Yeats: “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met.”

The pub captioned the video: “Christmas can be such a joyful time for some and painfully hard for others. One things for sure – you’ll always receive a warm welcome when you walk through our doors.

“We will be open on Christmas Day, so if you are alone this festive season, drop in for a chat.”

The Christmas ad has quickly gone viral, having amassed over 500,000 views on Instagram, just one day after release, with viewers taking to the comments section to praise the advert’s tearjerking content.

“Me who is absolutely not a crier definitely cried at this. The elderly are my absolute soft spot. Christmas is a really hard day for many, it’s important to check in on those who are alone. Especially if they had a bereavement this year,” one person wrote.

While a second said: “This will give the John Lewis add a run for its money.”

“Wow, this hit a nerve! Have such a soft spot for older people and it makes me so sad to think of them in their own, this world is so busy and all the ways they had the daily chats are dwindling, the local pub may be the last bastion where company could be found! Great job, beautiful piece,” a third person penned.