The Irish pub as an institution is the bedrock of our community and culture and is an "absolute bedrock" of our tourism industry, says VFI chief executive Pat Crotty.

The report from Lisney showed that staffing remains a significant concern for licensed premises, with the rise in minimum wage increasing costs for operators.

Diageo, which also owns Johnnie Walker whisky and Gordon’s gin, said Guinness sales have seen ‘extraordinary’ growth in recent months.

‘It’s trendy now to appreciate the Irish things,’ one Guinness drinker in Dublin said.

Chef Darina Allen said protesters’ calls for the government ‘to wake up and listen to the people’ were right.

The VFI is sounding the alarm that "insufficient measures" will push many pubs to the breaking point.

In 2005, there was 8,617 pubs in Ireland with that number now standing at 6,563.

Local authorities received over 1,100 notifications to convert commercial buildings to new homes between 2018 and 2023

Seven out of 10 food pubs in the capital also say the VAT increase has made them less likely to hire new staff

The largest monthly volume increases were in bars (+13.8 per cent), books, newspapers and stationery (+7.0 per cent), pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles (+3.0 per cent), and department stores (+2.9 per cent).

Spend in pubs increased 10 per cent in the month, compared to a 12 per cent decrease in the month in May 2023.

Data from the Health Research Board shows Ireland still has the third-highest in the world in terms of the number of pubs per person

AIB's Spend Trend report found customers spent over €210 million with airlines in the first two months of the year