AS IF THERE weren’t enough Irish pubs to contend with about the place, the go-to watering holes for all right-thinking (English-speaking) travellers abroad have today combined their strength under the umbrella of the Irish Pubs Global Federation.
With a name reminiscent of Star Wars’ Galactic Empire, the network was launched this afternoon by Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan — with the backing of patrons Enterprise Ireland and An Bord Bia amongst others.
The Federation is an extension of the six-year-old Irish Pubs Global which was set up to give ‘Irish’ pubs worldwide a platform from which to co-ordinate for their mutual benefit.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, founder Enda O’Coineen says the new network is a way of combining its members’ presence into something greater than their whole.
“Basically, we’re bringing together different chapters of Irish pubs, so say 35 pubs in Germany yesterday is one chapter, then another hundred on Thursday in Chicago,” he said.
Before there was never a way to co-ordinate this huge resource for everyone’s benefit and that’s where the Federation comes in. Together we can exchange ideas and links and work towards greater business and profitability for all.
With over 6,500 pubs signed up worldwide the Federation has an impressive rate of takeup and it’s hoping to provide an opportunity for Irish hospitality suppliers and SMEs to connect with each other across the globe.
“In Ireland the industry is well-organised, but internationally the understanding wasn’t there before,” says O’Coineen.
We’ve actually been under siege in Ireland a little bit, so this new network is a way of reinventing the whole concept of what we are.
“With the internet and new technology we can bring it all together. Now with all members pulling their weight a little bit great things can be achieved,” he added.
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