Freedom Of Choice Should Never Become A Radical Idea In A Democratic Society

Smoking
 Is Not
The Issue

Pub Closures Now Running At One A Day

Irish bars are calling last orders and closing for business at the staggering rate of one a day. Almost 600 hundred have now closed for good outside the Dublin area since the imposition of the smoking ban over two years ago.

In the booming economy of the Celtic Tiger, bars and restaurants that should be doing a roaring trade are being forced out of business as customers desert the non-smoking establishments leaving owners with no choice but to close.

It was almost unheard of prior to 2004 and the introduction of the smoking ban for an Irish pub to shut up shop and cease trading. However, bars are now closing at the rate of one a day with a record number of closures predicted over the coming 12 months. Almost 10% of bars operating outside the Dublin metropolitan area have called last orders for the final time. This has had a particularly devastating impact in rural areas where the pub was the focal point of the community.

Below is a county by county list of pub closures outside the Dublin area issued by the Vintner's Federation.

Carlow	9		Louth	23
Cavan	17		Mayo	48
Clare	43		Meath	11
Cork	74		Monaghan	13
Donegal	8		Offaly	13
Galway	57		Roscommon	11
Kerry	3		Sligo	16
Kildare	14		Tipperary	47
Kilkenny	17		Waterford	27
Laois	23		Westmeath	21
Leitrim	9		Wexford	25
Limerick	47		Wicklow	7
Longford	14		TOTAL	597

Source : Vintner's Federation    (Pop : 2.5 million Approx)

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