Irish Pub Culture: History and Contrasting Roles of Men and Women

Figures have shown that the main reason 80% of international visitors travelled to Ireland in 2014 was to experience the atmosphere of the Irish pub. 83% revealed that their favourite holiday activity was listening to traditional music inside.

Pubs are a basic part of the Irish social scene, and whether you’re a teetotaler or a beer-guzzler, they should be a part of your travel here (American travel writer, Rick Steves).[1]

The earliest example of an establishment that can be compared to the Irish pub, dates to the introduction of the Brehon Laws. A description of important events which have happened since then are discussed here, focusing on the 19^th and 20^th centuries. While men have visited these pubs for centuries it was not until the late 20^th century that they became popular with women.

The Brehon Laws

The first written evidence of the Brehon Laws, dates to between the 7^th and 8^th centuries AD, when hospitality was seen as an indication of good leadership. It was necessary by law for each local king to have a personal ‘bruigu’ or brewer, who was the owner-occupier of the king’s public house. During this time, it is estimated that Ireland was home to 80-140 independent kingdoms.

It was the responsibility of each bruigu to have:

A never-dry cauldron, a dwelling on a public road and a welcome on every face.[2]

Each hostel or ‘bruidean’ had to be positioned at a crossroads, with four doors, one facing each route. Each bruigu needed to make their visitors feel welcome and they were expected to position a torch bearer on the lawn outside to greet people.

These bruideans had to remain open 24 hours a day, containing specific amounts of butchered meat and live animals ready to slaughter for food. It was also the responsibility of ale-makers and drink servers to make cheering sounds, indicating that they were enjoying their work.

Norman Influence

Ale was still a popular drink in Ireland when the Normans arrived in the early 12^th century AD. The brewing of ale was primarily carried out at home by women known as ‘alewives’. Ale was cheap to make and usually sold in a room attached to their house.

The Normans were known for their love of wine and were responsible for bringing it to Ireland. Wine merchants known as ‘Vintners’ brought wine to the castles of Norman lords and wine-tasting events.  These events were sometimes held in Dublin to try out imported stock and meeting places became known as ‘taverns’.

After a while, the Normans began to sell their stock from the point of storage. Winetavern Street in Dublin became the main centre of distribution and trade. In 1979, an excavation revealed over 2000 pewter tavern tokens (tokens exchanged for alcohol) found in an ancient refuse pit on Winetavern Street.

Over the next few centuries, laws were passed over the formation and consumption of alcohol in Ireland. While some of them were contradictory to others, some were just ignored completely by the Irish public. Some of the most significant, led to a rise in illegal drinking that is still a problem today.

Rise of Illegal Drinking

Up until the early 17^th century, taverns and alehouses did not require a license. In 1613, the first licenses were issued for Irish taverns and by 1635, laws had been passed making it Illegal to establish unlicensed premises.

Unfortunately, this resulted in the formation of the ‘shebeen’, a location where alcohol is illegally sold. This might be a house or an outdoor area and after the law was passed, woods and boglands, situated away from local towns became popular meet-up spots.

These kinds of facilities are still present in Ireland today and the outbreak of Covid-19 caused a surge in numbers. On October 9^th 2020, the Gardaí carried out searches on three suspected shebeens in the Irish midlands.

Chief executive of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, Padraig Cribben states:

There is no doubt this is only the tip of the iceberg. You can guarantee there is one operating at least in every county of Ireland.[3]

The events of the 19^th century, such as the Great Famine had a serious effect on all areas of Irish culture, including pub culture.

19^th Century Problems and Changes

One campaign which reduced the consumption of alcohol during the 19^th century was the Irish Temperance Movement (1839-1845). It was founded by Father Theobald Mathew, president of the Cork Total Abstinence Society. Mathew travelled around Ireland, speaking to large crowds, and labelling the consumption of alcohol as a sin.

Many of the people who attended these events decided to take a temperance pledge and stop drinking alcohol. Figures show that between 1841 and 1844, the number of alcohol drinkers in Ireland dropped by approximately 50%.

It was only a year later that the Great Famine (1845-1849) began. Although the number of pubs in Ireland fell during this time, the Irish style of pub started to become popular in the US. Immigrants often went to recall their life back home and meet others who had travelled over from Ireland. Many of them decided to set up their own pubs.

Figures show that in 1880, two thirds of the applicants for pub licenses in Worcester, South Philadelphia were Irish born. Surprisingly, only one-sixth of the people living there were Irish. Although approximately one million emigrated to America during the famine, about the same number of people died at home from starvation and disease.

The Coroner’s Act of 1846 stated that dead bodies must be taken to the nearest pub for storage. Beer cellars were cool areas that slowed down decomposition. It was not unusual for publicans (pub owners) to keep marble tables inside for autopsies. This law remained in place until 1962.

Freeman’s Journal, 9^th April 1869, tells the story of how the injured members of a bus crash in Dublin were taken into Lawler’s pub nearby. However, not only were dead bodies taken to the pub to be stored but live bodies were also sent there to be treated. Complaints were made about this as Saint Mary’s Asylum was nearby, with nurses and doctors present. Pub owner Patrick Lawler stated:

 Every possible effort was made to resuscitate her. My house was closed and business suspended while she remained there; everything required by the doctor and those in attendance were supplied by me (Kevin Martin, Have Ye No Homes to Go to).

Everyone is familiar with one other interesting law passed in the 19^th century. From 1872 onwards, it was a legal requirement for each owner to include their surname in the name of their pub. This law was specific to Ireland, not the rest of the British Empire and although it is no longer a rule it has remained a lasting tradition.

Although 19th-century pubs had a similar layout to the ones we see today, it would not be possible to envisage the Irish pub atmosphere without considering the revival of traditional music in the 20^th century.

Modern Revival of Music and Festivals

Up until the 1950s, it was unusual to hear traditional music being played in an Irish pub. Most people associated it with dance, not for groups of people to listen to while they sat down and enjoyed a few pints with friends.

Fleadh Cheoil or, ‘The Festival of Music’ was a competition first held in Mullingar in 1951. It became so popular that within a few years, pub and outdoor music sessions had become a common part of it.

Seán Ó Riada needs to be praised for his influence in restoring the popularity of traditional music. In the early 1960s, he set up the traditional Irish band ‘Ceoltóirí Chualann’. He made use of instruments such as the fiddle, piano, flute and bodhrán, often giving each a solo part. Common folk tunes were now being performed in a more classical style.

Many of the original members of this band were founding members of the Chieftains. They are credited for making traditional Irish music popular around the world. They even received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2002.

O’Riada’s friend Thomas Kinsella states:

He reached out and swiftly captured a national audience, lifted the level of music practice and appreciation, restored to his people an entire cultural dimension and added no little to the gaiety of the nation (Kevin Martin, Have Ye No Homes to Go to).

Today, people regularly go to Irish pubs to appreciate traditional music, and St. Patrick’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year. However, until 1960, it was illegal for pubs to open on this day.

The Intoxicating Liquor Act was passed in 1927, making it illegal for pubs to sell alcohol on Good Friday, Christmas Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

In 1952, the Connaught Telegraph stated:

St. Patrick’s Day was like every other day, only duller.[6]

After the act was passed, the only way to buy a drink on St. Patrick’s Day was to go to the Royal Dublin Dog Show. A lot of the people who went had no interest in dogs but still went to enjoy themselves.

With the arrival of television, people were able to see how much fun the Americans were having on March 17^th. The St. Patrick’s Day ban was finally repealed in 1960. In 1961, pubs were finally allowed to open but, the law still applies to both other days. Luckily, this day is now celebrated in Irish pubs by men and women but, this was not always the case.

Acceptance of Women into Irish Pubs

During the 19^th and 20^th centuries, small, enclosed rooms called ‘snugs’ were created beside the bar in many pubs. This was usually the part of the building where a woman was expected to sit, if pub owners were willing to let her in.

Although it was not illegal for women to enter pubs in the 1960s, it was legal for pub owners to refuse them entry. Others would only let a woman in if she was accompanied by a man and it was his job to go up to the bar and order her a drink. While some pubs would allow women to pay for whiskey or wine, they often prohibited them from buying ‘unladylike’ pints of beer.

Tom Maker, died in 2003, aged 92 and had been running the Moondharrig House in Waterford for over 77 years. This had always been a ‘men only pub’ and when he was asked why he refused to serve women his reply was simply:

Weak women, strong drink, long hours and short skirts are a bad combination.[7]

One well-known protest was made in the early 1970s when a group of 30 women entered a pub in Dublin, led by Irish feminist Nell McCafferty. After ordering a round of brandies and a single pint of Guinness the barman gave them the brandy, but not the Guinness. The women simply drank their 30 brandies and walked out without paying. 

It was not until 2002 that the Equal Status Act was passed, banning gender discrimination. This made it illegal to refuse women entry into public places such as pubs because they were female. Luckily, today it is not unusual to see a woman with a pint of beer enjoying herself in a pub with a group of friends.

Conclusion

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) revealed that the number of pubs in Ireland between 2005 and 2017 dropped by 17.1% or 1,477. This number was highest in Cork, at 25%. Off-licenses rose from 2,966 to 3,331, indicating that drinking from home had become more popular.

Although the number of pubs in Ireland may be falling, the Irish pub culture is appreciated and copied all around the world. Perhaps, more locals are now drinking at home, but it is still verified to be the number one reason people in other countries travel to Ireland today.

As Declan Delaney, employee of the oldest pub in Ireland ‘Sean’s Bar’, states:

I think Irish people do pubs better than anyone else in the world. There is just a better atmosphere, and it attracts people who come to have a good time.

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References

• Martin, Kevin (2016). Have Ye No Homes to go to: The History of the Irish Pub. Gill Books. Kindle Edition.
• BBC News (2020). Pub Closures Fuelling Illegal Alcohol Sales. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-54750087 (13rd February 2020).
• Duffy, C. (2003). Waterford Publican Who Only Served Men Dies, Aged 92. Available at:https://www.irishtimes.com/news/waterford-publican-who-only-served-men-dies-aged-92-1.401034 (Looked at 10th February 2021).
• Hade, E. J. (2014). Four out of Five Tourists Come for the Pub Culture. Available at: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/four-out-of-five-tourists-come-for-the-pub-culture-30521261.html (Looked at 27th January 2021).
• Klein, C. (2019). How St. Patrick’s Day Was Made in America. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-origins-america (Looked at 13th February 2021).
• Martin, K. (2016). 10 Things You Might Not Know About Irish Pubs. Available at:https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-irish-pubs-1.2668558 (Looked at 27th January 2021).
• Mingren, W. (2017). Quaffing Here For 11 Centuries: Sean’s Bar Claims Title of Oldest Pub in Ireland, Europe and Possibly the World. Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/quaffing-here-11-centuries-sean-s-bar-claims-title-oldest-pub-ireland-europe-021611 (Looked at 27th January 2021).
• Murray, S. (2018). Which Country in Ireland has the Most Pubs per Person? Available at: https://www.thejournal.ie/aib-pubs-report-3852811-Feb2018/ (Looked at 31^st January 2021).
• O’Doherty, C. (2018). Number of Pubs Down 1,500 in 12 Years. Available at: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30863654.html (Looked at 14th February 2021).
• Steves, R. (no date). Pubs: Ireland’s Watering Holes. Available at: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/pubs-irelands-watering-holes (Looked at 13th February 2021).

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