Not welcome at the inn
There is an item in today’s Journal
‘They’re dropping like flies’: Why Cork pubs have been closing in droves
For some reason that I cannot fathom, there is no mention of the smoking ban. There appears to be an attitude here in Ireland that the ban never happened, or that it was always in place. I have seen a lot of articles bemoaning the loss of pubs here, and if the ban is mentioned [rarely] it is as an afterthought.
I have spoken to quite a few people where I mentioned the ban in passing. The reaction varies, from “ah, sure what can you do?” through “it doesn’t bother me that much” to “yeah, it’s annoying but it’s the law”. I only remember one occasion where a bar owner got quite angry and decried the law for killing her business.
I tried to leave a comment under the article but without success. I don’t know if they have some kind of moderation in place. Maybe all comments containing the word “smoking” are automatically barred? It would certainly fit in with the general Irish mindset. Don’t mention the war.
The comment I posted –
While there has been a steady decline over many years, statistics will show a sharp increase in closures starting in 2004 – the year the smoking ban was introduced – when overnight thousands of clientèle were told that they were no longer welcome in their hostelry. It’s strange how that is never mentioned?
I’ve tried posting a comment as well (‘Jan Doe’)- without using the ‘S-word’. No joy so I assume moderation is turned on even if it doesn’t say so. Judging by the photo of a lonely empty ashtray atop a beer barrel outside some pub or other I would assume the author wasn’t allowed to mention the S-word but chose that photo…
I have seen people before compainig that their comments were either blocked or deleted so there does seem to be some kind of moderation. So much for open debate!
That’s a good point about the ashtray though. Hidden messages?
Younger people probably really don’t remember those times before smoking became “denormalized”.
And believe the propaganda – which is the same here in Germoney – that the smoking ban was a full success and had nothing to do with pubs closing. What. So. Ever. No. Thing.
“Younger people probably really don’t remember those times before smoking became “denormalized”.”
Said it before and I will say it again: it sounds so much more scary in the original German – “entnormalisiert” ….like entartete Kunst …or even Endlösung der Raucherfrage
In any hospitality business you make your profit from the last 10% of customers who walk through the door – the first 90% are just covering the costs. So when you tell a quarter of your customers that they are no longer welcome . . . . do the maths.
In the UK 20 pubs a week are still closing and some of that’s my fault – I’ve not spent a penny in any pub or restaurant since July 2007 when the Smoking Ban came in, nor shall I ever until it is repealed. If they want pubs to recover, they know what they have to do. Until then, I’ll continue to eat and drink at home, where my rules apply and where my comfort matters.