Dublin has been the least affected county.
New figures have revealed that over 2,000 pubs have closed around Ireland since 2005.
The figures come from a report by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) and claim that 2,054 pubs have ceased trading in Ireland since 2005, which marks a 24% reduction.
The report shows that every year for the past 18 years, 114 pubs on average have closed across the country.
That figure has risen to 144 between the years 2019 and 2023, taking into account the Covid pandemic.
The counties most affected by the closures are Limerick, Roscommon and Cork.
The report follows another study which revealed that Irish people have decreased their alcohol consumption by a third in twenty years.
2,054 pubs have closed down within the past 20 years, according to our new report.
— Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (@DIGI_Ireland) August 28, 2024
A reduction in Ireland’s extremely high excise duties would make an immediate, positive difference to hundreds of small businesses. #SYL24 @jackfchambers
Read the report: https://t.co/17ybTRb3bx pic.twitter.com/7O4rexzxRe
Over 2,000 pubs close in Ireland in just under 20 years
While closure rates of pubs are higher in rural counties, all 26 counties have experience decreases within the last two years.
The county most affected by closures is Limerick, which has seen a drop of 35.6%, followed by Roscommon with 31.9% and Cork with 31.4%.
The least impacted country is Dublin, with a drop of just 2.8%, with Meath (6.7%) and Wicklow (8.9%).
“This analysis verifies the consistent trend we have been seeing with pub numbers in every part of the country,” said Professor Tony Foley, economist and associate professor emeritus at Dublin City University, who carried out the analysis for DIGI.
“There is clearly a variation on closures between counties which broadly sees rural areas adversely impacted.
“The continuing decline is taking place against a backdrop of societal change and cost of business strains.
“Consumption of alcohol has notably decreased, how we socialise is changing, the types of drinks we consume are changing, particularly the rise of low-alcohol and alcohol-free products,” he said.
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