One quarter of Irish pubs have closed since 2005
Press Release: One quarter of Irish pubs have closed since 2005
- Number of pub licenses has fallen by more than 2,200 in just 20 years to 6,412, a decline of 25.6%
- Average pub closures of 110 per year
- Rate of closure highest in rural areas, with Limerick (40.2%), Offaly (34.1%), Monaghan (33.9%), Tipperary (33.5%) and Cork (32.8%) most impacted over 20 years
A new report shows a rapid decline in the number of pubs in Ireland, with 2,205 premises - or one in four - closing their doors since 2005.
The report, compiled by Economist and Associate Professor Emeritus at DCU, Anthony Foley, shows that an average of 110 pubs stopped trading every year over the last two decades.
All 26 counties experienced declines in pub numbers over the 2005 to 2025 period. The highest decrease was in Limerick (-37.2%), followed by Offaly (-34.1%) Cork (-32.7%), Roscommon (-32.3%), Tipperary (-32.0%), Laois (-30.6%), Longford (-30.1%) and Westmeath (-30.0%).
The lowest decrease was in Dublin with a drop of -1.1%, followed by Wicklow with a decrease of -9.5%. Meath had a decrease of 11.4% and all other counties saw a 13% or greater decrease.
The number of pubs which closed their doors last year was 86, up from 65 in 2024 but down from 117 in 2023.
The report was commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) which has called for the Government to use the upcoming Budget to introduce an immediate 10% cut in excise, which currently stands as the second highest in the European Union.
Commenting on the report, author Professor Tony Foley said:
“Over the past 20 years the Irish economy has grown substantially, including large employment, consumption and adult population increases, despite multiple economic shocks and geopolitical disruption.
“This growth should have supported the alcohol and public house sectors. However, both alcohol consumption and pub sales volumes declined substantially. The level of alcohol taxation is very high in Ireland, which alongside rising costs and changing consumer trends, reduces the commercial viability of public houses.”
“It is likely that pub closures will continue in the absence of any change in Government policy. Even in the absence of additional significant economic shocks, an optimistic scenario would expect about 600 additional closures in the next decade from 2024. More pessimistic expectations would increase the closure level to 1,000.”
Commenting on the report, DIGI secretary, Donall O’Keeffe said:
“Over the past 20 years we have seen a decimation in the number of pubs operating across Ireland. This has been particularly damaging to the social, economic and cultural life of rural Ireland. They are also a huge loss to our tourism offer. Without government intervention, this trend will continue and potentially accelerate.
“We are calling for a 10% immediate cut in excise duty to give the remaining small, family-owned pubs a better chance of remaining viable. Current excise rates are simply unjust given Ireland’s continually falling rates of alcohol consumption, which ranks us among the EU average for levels of alcohol consumption.
“Our extremely high level of alcohol taxation in comparison to the rest of Europe is actively harming our sector and our customers who rely upon the public house as a hub of human connection. This is particularly true in rural settings where there is a greater risk of social isolation.”
Posted on 1 Sept 2026
