https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irish-pubs-still-serving-takeaway-23456733Irish pubs still serving takeaway pints despite Taoiseach Micheal Martin pledgeEXCLUSIVE: The Irish Daily Mirror can reveal bars are serving takeaway drinks to their select clientsBy Ferghal Blaney Political Editor
08:04, 7 FEB 202UPDATED09:34, 7 FEB 2021
Pubs are serving punters through hatches across Dublin – despite Micheal Martin telling us all to “forget takeaway pints”.
And it has emerged that it is not illegal – no matter what the Taoiseach led us to believe last month.
The Irish Sunday Mirror can reveal bars on the Northside and the Southside are serving takeaway drinks to their select clients.
It is believed the practice is secretly commonplace in many other counties too. The landmark Irishtown House in Dublin 4 is providing the service out its front door and there was even a queue on Friday evening.
It was advertising “takeaway specials” at €6.50 each, or two for €12, on its cocktails including pornstar martinis, strawberry daiquiris and Long Island iced teas.
The Irishtown House was serving takeaway pints yesterday
The Irish Sunday Mirror has also confirmed another pub in the Dublin suburbs, near Glasnevin, is providing pints delivered to homes.
One customer said: “I see nothing wrong with it. I get a pint of Guinness delivered to my door, with some sort of lid on it, but the pint is good.”
The Irishtown House was contacted for comment yesterday, but failed to respond.
Last month Taoiseach Micheal Martin said “forget takeaway pints” during the third lockdown.
He added: “Forget about takeaway pints, takeaway alcohol.
“No publican should be selling takeaway pints.”
Mr Martin then gave his reasons why he was introducing a supposed ban.
He said: “This is a very serious situation we are in. It [takeaway drinks] leads to congregation; it leads to gathering of people which can spread the disease and the virus and that’s a very, very clear message from me, and from Government.”
The Taoiseach added: “A clear message, because the message is to stay at home, I’m saying to publicans it’s not on that anyone would be selling pints.”
However, it was expected this would be followed up with some change in the law, or at the very least some sort of regulation to make it clear that takeaway pints are not allowed. This never happened.
So the Irish Sunday Mirror has established that it is not actually illegal to serve takeaway pints.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health this weekend said: “Under current Covid-19 restrictions, cafes, bars, restaurants, and pubs may only sell food or drink, including intoxicating liquor, for takeaway. This is set out in SI 701 of 2020.”
Meanwhile, the major breweries in Ireland, Guinness and Heineken, have stopped selling directly to the pub trade.
But output continues at the production plants and kegs are being delivered to outlets such as restaurants.
The Irish Sunday Mirror has learned from two well-known pubs in Dublin that some bar owners are snapping up spare kegs to supply their trade.
The Licensed Vintners Association, which primarily represents Dublin publicans, and the Vintners Federation of Ireland which generally looks after the trade’s interests outside the capital, have issued diktats saying takeaway pints are out.
