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'Prime location of Galway pubs factor in closures' E-mail
Written by Christina Hession   
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
The attractiveness of prime public house sites in Galway City and County to developers has been cited as a factor in the closure of almost 20 pubs in 2006.

Mr Adrian McIntyre, Chairman of Galway City Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI), noted that the prime location of public houses in Galway City and in central locations in many county towns and villages is a factor considered by many publicans, especially those coming up to retirement age.

Galway has been one of the counties worst affected by pub closures, with in excess of 70 pubs calling time on their businesses in the last three to four years. Recent pub closures in Galway include premises in Carna, Cashel, Toombeola, Moycullen and Oughterard.

He added that this was particularly true in rural areas, especially if immediate family members had no wish to continue running the businesss.

"We'll always have changing consumer trends, but now there is a concentration on SSIAs. You can get cheap flights and weekends away to every corner of the globe." Other contributing factors he cited included drinking at home, the smoking ban, and stricter drink driving laws.

Adrian McIntyre has welcomed Galway West Minister Eamon O Cuiv's announcement, that his department will liaise with the Department of Transport in a bid to extend the rural transport initiative to vulnerable, isolated rural dwellers.

"Our city cousins in Dublin have the Luas, the Dart and the late night bus links, why can't we get a nightlink bus service in Galway, Cork and Limerick, not just for people coming home from the pub, but people coming from shops, the cinema etc? Galway is nearly a 24 hour city," he said.

Minister O Cuiv commented, "He will be focusing in particular on elderly people living on their own, whose social life is gone to nothing. They used to go out for a pint or two, a game of cards and meet friends."

"I'm taking a practical step to deal with something which is now a problem in the more rural parts of rural Ireland. The provision of transport for people in rural Ireland would be a very positive result.


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