Six decades. That is how long Martin Keane must go back to remember the last time pubs shuttered on St Patrick’s Day in Ireland. Keane’s father was a barman, and, even today, Keane has a recollection in his mind of pubs closing when he was a young child. “St Patrick’s Day was treated like it was a Good Friday,” he says. “I am not sure how long ago that was but I was a nipper. I am 72 now so it was quite a while ago.” Keane has been in the pub industry for 34 years and owns the iconic…

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“I am going to have a bottle of wine while I can still afford it, and I may even have a second one. It’s been that sort of day”

It should have been the busiest day of the year for Irish publicans. Instead, their pubs were shuttered, and thousands of employees laid off as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. Now, most have been cash adrift by their insurers.

18th Mar, 2020 - 8 min read

Tom Lyons

Chief Executive

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