Bloomsday launch of web network for Irish pubs globally

16 Jun 2010

It’s rare that you’d find a capital city anywhere in the world that doesn’t have an Irish pub. The problem is many are just Irish-themed pubs and their ‘Irishness’ is often doubtful. That may be about to change.

A new network aimed at supporting the best Irish pubs abroad – estimated at 5,000 around the world – is being launched by entrepreneur Enda O’Coineen who has established IrishPubsGlobal.com as a way of supporting and recognising the best Irish pubs around the world.

The idea is to strengthen their links with Ireland, and providing them with resources to help them enhance the Irishness of the food, drink and entertainment they provide.

The project includes a major convention of Irish pub owners and managers being planned for September.

The network will provide a central point of contact for the first time, not just for the overseas Irish pub owners and managers, but also for anyone who wants to reach them – potential employees, recruiters, food and drink suppliers, tourism bodies, distilleries and breweries.

Tourism Ireland, Bord Bia, Irish Distillers and Diageo will support the upcoming conference.

“Since the convention coincides with both the Galway Oyster Festival and Arthur’s Day, we’re already getting a lot of interest from all over the world,” said Brian Nolan, a special adviser to the project, adding that a print publication is also in the works.

Origins of IrishPubsGlobal.com

The idea of the network occurred to O’Coineen as he was touring the world during the Volvo Ocean Race with Let’s Do It Global, the Green Dragon and Let’s Do It Galway.

It was reinforced after the Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh in September: “I saw the outreach that Ireland was doing with the diaspora as a result of the economic crisis, and I realised that a network like this would help the pubs in the diaspora by recognising the role they play in serving as centres of Irish culture, in places that range from the world’s greatest cities to some of its most remote outposts.

“Outside of Ireland, the Irish pubs are much more than bars where you can get a great pint – they also showcase our legendary hospitality and cultural heritage, with music and great food often really essential to the whole experience – and some of the people running these pubs are Ireland ‘s best ambassadors.

“We are leveraging a unique brand – ‘The Irish Pub’ – overseas and are using it as marketing tool for Ireland that other countries can only dream of. These international Irish pubs deserve our support and recognition for the great work they do,” he said.

 

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com