Visit a pub – Lonely Planet’s #3
“No matter where you go you’ll find that the social heart of the country beats loudest in the pub, still the best place to discover what makes the country tick,” states this year’s Lonely Planet guide which puts listening to traditional music in the pub in fourth place in the 21-item list. Traditional Irish music “is best expressed in a more sedate setting, usually an old-fashioned pub.”
The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland welcomed the new guide stating that it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of the 92,000 people working in the Irish drinks industry.
“The Lonely Planet Guide for Ireland confirms that tourists love our great pubs, our great music and our great beer,“ commented DIGI Secretary and LVA Chief Executive Dónall O’Keeffe, “We should be proud of our pubs and pub culture which continues to play its part in drawing tourists here. We know that the drinks industry makes a major contribution to domestic and international tourism with overseas visitors spending 21% of their holiday expenditure on food and drink.”
VFI President Noreen O’Sullivan added, “The Irish pub is our greatest social institution and continues to play its part in providing visitors with a place to eat, have a drink, listen to great music, or garner information about an area. The pub is often taken for granted by our policy-makers but as the Lonely Planet notes, there’s a pub in every town and hamlet no matter where you go. This makes it one of the most valuable parts of Ireland’s tourist offer. There are 7,457 pubs across the country, supporting the geographic spread of tourism.”
