More pubs will need to charge €10 “if they’re going to stay in business”, a Temple Bar publican has claimed.
A pint of Rockshore cider at The Merchant's Arch pub in Dublin's Temple Bar now costs €10.45 if ordered with a meal.
Pints at the nearby Oliver St John Gogarty’s can still be bought for under €10 but owner Martin Keane feels that will soon change.
“In the next couple of weeks or maybe just before the summer, they’ll reach the tenner,” he told Josh Crosbie for Newstalk Breakfast.
“Every morning I get up, things have increased.
“We’re crippled; our musicians have gone up 25%... Increases are endless and I can’t see any end to them at all.”
Would you pay €10 for a pint?🍺
It comes after a pint of cider in one Dublin pub has hit €10.45 💶
Where can you find the cheapest pint in Ireland? 🍻 pic.twitter.com/8VOQCZiPVi— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) February 20, 2024
He also predicted other pubs would soon follow suit.
“Absolutely, they just have to if they’re going to stay in business,” he said.
Many people would baulk at the idea of paying so much for a pint but Mr Keane said his clientele are generally happy to pay his prices.
“Ninety-five percent of our business is from overseas,” he said.
“So, it’s not much of a comment about it but our own indigenous Irishman doesn’t really like it.
“He likes as much for as little as possible.”
'No comparison'
For those who question why pints in Temple Bar are so expensive when compared to many pubs down the country, Mr Keane said the two situations are not comparable.
“We’re probably subsidising him down in an indirect sort of a way,” he said.
“We’re probably paying extra money to get it sent down on a truck with a couple of helpers to the end of Kerry.
“Then his overheads are a lot less; it’s a different deal altogether - there’s no comparison.”
'It’s too much'
For visitors out and about in Dublin, the price of drink is persistently described as a downside to their trip.
“It’s quite expensive because we’re paying in euro,” one woman from Vancouver said.
“Last time we were here it was cheaper, it’s gone up.”
A visitor from Greece described the price of drink as “a little bit expensive” and another from Northern Ireland said he had noticed it increase recently.
“It’s definitely expensive,” he said.
“We come down quite regularly and it’s got more expensive I think probably in the last few months.”
Would pints over €10 stop him buying them?
“Probably, aye,” he said. “It’s too much.”
Last year, inflation in Ireland was 5.2% but in 2024 it is forecast to drop to 2.2%.
Main image: A man carrying pints. Photograph: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie
