A combination of soaring costs, lack of staff and the changing habits of the locals is making trading conditions so difficult that some pubs and bars struggle to remain open, states Fáilte Ireland in its most recent Tourism Barometer.

Entries are now being accepted for this year’s Irish Whiskey Awards which takes place at the Pearse Lyon’s Distillery, Dublin, on November the 10th.

With the UK's Office for National Statistics' data showing that vacancies now exceed unemployment for the first time, a new workforce strategy document from UKHospitality, the UK's hospitality representative body, examines all aspects of the hospitality sector’s labour needs there and looks to solutions to rebalance the shortfall.

St Patrick would only be proud of the way his special day has grown in stature all across the globe, with landmarks in various countries all lit-up in green to celebrate the day.