Pubs and politicians need to be friends againDURING a recent public meeting with the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI), I was struck by the unease that the industry feels towards the political system. I apologise to no-one for my view that we need to protect and to value our rural pubs to ensure the light stays on in rural villages and communities. I am from a small rural West Cork village. And, to be frank and honest, the rural pub is not, for the most part at least, some den of iniquity. If we close our rural pubs, the consequences inevitably are depopulation, loneliness and social isolation.

Source: Evening echo September 06, 2018 10:41 UTC