On-trade

An Púcán – IPG’s Best Irish Pub at home

An Púcán in Galway was named Best Irish Pub at home at this year’s Irish Pubs Global Awards which took place yesterday evening in the Citywest Hotel, Dublin, as part of this year’s Irish Pubs Global Gathering’s Gala Dinner.

The Old Spot gastropub in Dublin’s Bath Avenue won the Best Irish Pub Food at home award while sister pub The Jar in Dublin’s Camden Street won the Best Marketing Campaign of the Year award.

The awards were held as part of part of the fifth annual Irish Pubs Global Federation Gathering event which runs from September 26th until the 28th and they honour business excellence in the Irish pub industry at home and abroad.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the late publican Oliver Hughes, Co-Founder of the Porterhouse group and owner of both Lillie’s Bordello and the Dingle Whiskery Distillery.

Other winners on the night included The Irish Village in Dubai which won the award for Irish Pub of the Year and McGettigan’s, Abu Dhabi, which won the award for Best International Irish Pub Food.

Kevin Barry’s Pub in Savannah, Georgia, won Best Authentic Irish Pub and Declan O’Brien of Caffrey’s Irish Bar in Prague won Bar Manager of the Year while Dylan Taylor of Tir na nÓg in Denmark was named Bartender of the Year.

Bizimply won IPG’s Innovation Award while Supplier of the Year went to Dobiquity.

Delegates from the Irish Pub sector from Ireland and abroad attended this year’s Gathering which also included a conference, the theme of which was ‘Creating A Destination Pub’.

Former VFI President Senator Billy Lawless who now owns a number of successful pubs and restaurants in Chicago delivered the keynote address.

“The Irish pub has always been at the heart of communities the length and breadth of this country and it’s an integral part of our social, cultural and economic life,” he told conference delegates, “The Irish pub is changing and keeping pace with a changing Ireland. I commend The Irish Pubs Global Federation for organising this event which is needed to enhance the collective experience of the Irish pub sector and connect the several thousand Irish pubs that are found as far afield as Auckland and Alaska.”

Other speakers at the event included Peter Nash from Tourism Ireland, Seamus O’Hara from the Carlow Brewing Company, Kay McCarthy from MCCP who spoke on how best to market the pub to Generation Y and Kevin Arundel from the Chophouse gastropub who gave advice on how to cook traditional Irish food with a twist.

Headline sponsors of the event were AIB along with associate sponsors Dubai Duty Free, Guinness and The Irish Village Dubai.


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