From 'beating heart' to 'beaten down': Disruption and the rural Irish Pub

In Irish culture the rural pub is viewed, not only as a purveyor of alcoholic drinks, but also as a place of local congregation, a place of music, a place of community. Its renowned muse-like qualities have provided considerable cultural inspiration down through the years and one finds many great Irish writers, artists and musicians who have referenced the Irish Pub, both in their work and in their personal life. Indeed, as an important aspect of Ireland's intangible cultural heritage, the pub has been identified in academic literature as a true manifestation of Oldenburg's Third Place concept. The Irish pub has also been heavily incorporated into tourism promotion material down through the years and many see a visit to the pub as essential to the Irish touristic experience. The Lonely Planet Guide 2012 ranked going to the pub as 'the greatest experience a tourist can have in Ireland'. Always viewed as a core aspect of rural life, the pub has provided an authentic refuge for many in the local community and it is this 'sense of place' that particularly attracts the tourist gaze. But just like the post office and the small traditional butcher/grocer, the rural pub is under severe threat and in danger of moving to the periphery of community consciousness and in some cases has already disappeared. This chapter explores the reasons why the treasured Irish Pub has become marginalised and examines the dichotomy of approach taken by Ireland's political class. On the one hand, our politicians revel in promoting the Irish Pub and the Irish pint among visiting dignitaries, laud the recent renaissance in Irish whiskey and gin distilleries and cheerlead a drinks industry that supports 92,000 jobs and contributes 2 billion Euro to the economy. At the same time both ministers and media frequently condemn the drinks industry and suggest that Ireland's drinking culture, of which the Irish Pub is a key part, is responsible for spiralling health bills and a plethora of society's ills. The chapter also considers the important difference between urban pubs and rural pubs and suggests that Irish rural life itself is in danger of being 'Disneyified' among an increasingly urban-centric population who limit their ventures into the countryside to the pursuit of a leisure agenda or to visiting ageing friends and family.