NEW RESEARCH HAS found that more than half of Dublin men think of pubs as a place of solace where ‘sensitive issues’ are up for discussion.

This comes as part of a study looking into the habits of Dublin pub goers.

On the finding, CEO of Licensed Vintners Association Donall O’Keefe said: “People go to the pub… perhaps to talk about things they might not ordinarily discuss.”

On the negative side, the survey also found that people were turned off going out by prices, noise, lack of seating and over crowding.

Close to a 1,000 pubs have closed in Ireland over the last five years. While the cost of alcohol in the supermarket has remained low, there has been cries of outrage at bar prices in some Dublin pubs. There was uproar recently over a receipt showing a pint in ‘The Temple Bar’ to cost €7.45.

For the Dublin pub goer, tradition was still a key factor in selecting a drinking location. A preference was shown for smaller traditional establishments with the majority of those asked saying the main reason for visiting the pub was meeting friends.

Two thirds of Dubliners also reported that they have a ‘local’ that they visit regularly.

Despite people clearly having a strong connection to the pub and seeing it as an important part of their lives, less than half of those asked said that they frequented a bar at least once a week.

Unsurprisingly, it also emerged that summer is the favourite time of year for heading down to the boozer.

The study was carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf of Licensed Vintners Association. A sample of over 500 pub goers was used in the research.

Pub visits are set to rise by 4% in the second half of 2014.

So over to you, what do you like and dislike about Irish pubs? The music? The craic? The exorbitant prices? Not being able to get home? Let us know in the comments. 

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