VFI and LVA launch Irish Pub Awards 2024
Pat Crotty, CEO VFI; John Clendennen, VFI President; Siobhan Casey from Bulmers; Laura Moriarty, LVA Chair; Donal O’Keeffe, CEO LVA; Laura Lee from Molson Coors (back row l-r) Gary Byrne from Musgrave MarketPlace; Seán Donegan from IMRO; James Rafferty from Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard; Barry Gray from BOI Payment Acceptance; John Cassidy from Edward Dillon; Conor Dillon from Heineken; Harry Holohan from Diageo; Jason Darcy from Fáilte Ireland
John Clendennen, VFI President; Fionnuala Carolan, editor, Drinks Industry Ireland and Laura Moriarty, LVA Chair. Drinks Industry Ireland is the trade media partner for the Irish Pub Awards 2024
The Irish Pub Awards 2024 were launched on Tuesday 16 April at The Merrion Inn, Merrion Road Dublin 4. The Irish Pubs Awards are jointly presented by Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI). Drinks Industry Ireland is once again the trade media partner for the awards with the Irish Independent as the main media partner.
Pubs are now free to enter up to ten categories with judging set to take place over the summer. The Irish Pub Awards Gala night, where the overall National Pub of the Year will be revealed, along with all category awards, will take place in Dublin on Wednesday, 13 November 2024.
This is the sixth year of the Irish Pub Awards, which celebrate excellence and innovation across various categories in the pub sector. Previous ‘Pub of the Year’ winners include Aunty Lena’s, Adare, Co. Limerick, Gleeson’s of Booterstown, Co. Dublin, Paris Texas, Kilkenny City, The Gylde Inn, Annagassan, Louth and The Porter House, Castlebridge, Wexford, while the individual category winners reflect the extraordinarily high standard of
pubs around the country.
The Irish Pub Awards 2024 are open to all members of the VFI and LVA. Entry to the awards
is free – anyone interested in entering can do so via the dedicated website: www.irishpubawards.ie.
The closing date for entries is Friday, 31 May 2024.
The ten categories are:
Best Food Pub sponsored by Musgrave MarketPlace
Best Tourist Pub sponsored by Fáilte Ireland
Innovative Pub of the Year sponsored by Bank of Ireland Payment Acceptance
Best Local Pub sponsored by Diageo
Best Digital Innovator sponsored by Heineken
Best Outdoor Space sponsored by Bulmers
Best Music Pub sponsored by IMRO
Outstanding Customer Service sponsored by Edward Dillon
Best Late Night Bar sponsored by Irish Distillers –Pernod Ricard
Best Match Day Pub sponsored by Molson Coors
The 70 regional winners will be showcased as best in class in their region and will receive a prize package to the value of €20,000, comprising management training and media coverage to help them develop their business. The media coverage will include a profile piece in an Irish Independent awards supplement on the day of the awards presentation on 13 November.
Addressing the launch of the Irish Pub Awards 2024, VFI President John Clendennen said: “This year, we aim to not only honour the tradition and hospitality that our pubs are renowned for worldwide but also to spotlight the innovation and resilience they have demonstrated in recent times. The Irish Pub Awards 2024 serve as a testament to the unwavering spirit of pub owners and staff in every county, whose dedication ensures that the Irish pub remains a cornerstone of community life.
“I also want to express my sincere gratitude to our sponsors, whose support is instrumental in making these awards feasible. The calibre of our sponsors and their brands reflects the prestige of these awards and underscores a collective dedication to nurturing and advancing the pub sector in Ireland.
“I wish all entrants the very best in this year’s competition and look forward to celebrating the outstanding contributions that pubs continue to make to our culture and communities.”
Chair of the LVA, Laura Moriarty, Bracken Court, Balbriggan,said: “While we are aware of the importance of the Irish pub around Ireland, they also play a very important part in Irish social culture, at the heart of our communities and a central part of our hospitality and tourism sectors. Also, an Awards programme is fitting to reward the efforts of those contributing to one of the biggest employment sectors in Ireland”.
“Now the definitive national industry standard, the Irish Pubs Awards are quickly gaining recognition throughout the trade as a programme that provides a credible and comprehensive assessment of the best in Irish Pubs. It offers pubs in Dublin and around the different regions an opportunity to raise the profile of their business through national and regional media coverage. That, together with the technical and management training afforded to all regional finalists makes it an initiative the LVA are delighted to support”, she added.
