Back to the ban

The countdown has begun. In less than a year smoking will be banned in all pubs across England and Wales. Of course licensees are already facing up to this, while an added dose of reality was dished out last month when the draft guidelines were published.

And since Guernsey outlawed smoking last month and Scotland went smoke-free in March there is a sense that the net is tightening around England and Wales.

But arguably it is in Ireland, where a public smoking ban took effect in March 2004, that most lessons can be learnt.

A year ago I visited two contrasting areas of Ireland to see how pubs were coping with the ban. One was Portlaoise - a small town with a population of around 14,000 - where pubs were having a tough time, with trade significantly down. I also visited Dublin, where licensees told a more positive story.

To get another snapshot of how the industry was managing, I returned to many of the same venues. This time, I also wanted to see what advice their licensees could pass on to their counterparts across the Irish Sea.

Portlaoise revisited​

My first port of call was again Portlaoise. On arrival I was greeted by the sight of an impressive seating area outside Sally Gardens in the town centre - a new addition since my previous visit. But after this initially pleasant surprise, I soon realised that the pub was in fact shut - and it was two o'clock in the afternoon.

I marched on to Lockey's bar to see if I could find somebody to talk to. Inside was quiet, with only a smattering of customers. But out the back were three smokers enjoying the excellent facilities, which included a bar, a television and heaters.

Debbie Byrne, a supervisor at Lockey's, said that she was now seeing the positive aspects of the ban. "There's health benefits for staff and non-smokers," she said. "I'm also a smoker and it's helped me cut down because I'm working here." She advised licensees to try to avoid having smokers standing outside in the streets. "It can be very awkward for people trying to come into your pub if there's people hanging around the door smoking," she said.

After leaving Lockey's I noticed the Portlaoise Arms, the Square Bar and O'Donoghue's were joining the Sally Gardens in having the afternoon off.

But not all of Portlaoise was a ghost town. At the Lethean licensee Dona Watchorne was full of praise for the ban. "I'm sure a lot of publicans will talk about the negative effects, but I would rather have less of a turnover and be in a healthier environment," she said.

Dona also noted that maintenance costs had dropped since the legislation was introduced.

"You don't get burns on your upholstery which can cost money to replace," she pointed out.

But at Ramsbottom and Sons a bleaker picture emerged. Despite spending E40,000 on creating a beer garden, licensee Ray Peacock has seen his business badly affected. He explained: "Trade is definitely down over the past year and around 50 per cent overall since the ban. People are tending to stay at home and drink so they can smoke."

Ray has clawed back some trade by introducing more entertainment. He now hosts four nights of music a week, as opposed to one previously. "It gets people out," he said. "Although they still come out later than before, just to see the band."

And Ray's advice to other licensees? "Make hay while the sun shines because it will hit you like a train for the first few months."

In Dublin's fair city…​

With this stark warning ringing in my ears I headed back to Dublin to get a taste of how the capital's pubs are shaping up. The mood was, on the whole, positive - helped by the feelgood summer vibe.

I made for the heart of Dublin's tourist area, Temple Bar. At the Temple Bar itself I found manager Martin Deegan in upbeat mood. "On the whole our customers like smoke-free premises," he told me. As far as Martin was concerned the ban is no longer a big deal. "People don't talk about it any more," he explained. "It's accepted."

I found an equally robust state of affairs at the Quays Bar where manager Derek Garry was looking ahead to the future health benefits. "It will be a couple of years before we see the real health benefits, but obviously in future there should be less of a strain on the health service," he said.

Meanwhile, at Bruxelles, just off Grafton Street, trade remains buoyant thanks to an excellent outside area. "Hail, wind or snow people stand outside with their smokes," said Mark . "But we've got heaters, so all year round it's kept warm out there."

He had also noticed another positive aspect to the ban. "Food has gone through the roof for us," he told me. "There's been a 100 per cent increase. People seem more encouraged to eat in a smoke-free environment, particularly families."

My final stop was the Bachelor Inn across the River Liffey, a working man's pub where last time I visited trade had dropped by around 20 per cent.

This time things were not quite so gloomy. "People have come back a little bit," said manager Martin Donnelly. The pub suffers from having no space available for a smoking area, forcing customers out onto the street to smoke.

"We still have good and bad days," said Martin. "But overall it has improved the atmosphere in the pub and people who don't smoke come in more often."

So with all the fanfare that greeted the ban, two-and-half years in it seems that things have settled down and Irish pubs have proved their resilience. And they have needed to. Of course other factors have hit the Irish trade in the past few years - the introduction of tougher drink-driving laws and the increase in the price of drink - which many licensees acknowledged has had a damaging effect.

But it seems those who have ridden the wave of the ban are now sailing into calmer waters. And the advice to licensees appears to be simple: be prepared, look for new ways to bring in customers, and if you have outdoor facilities advertise the fact.

Sounding out the customers…​

George Keyes, 37, Portlaoise (smoker) ​

"When the weather's not so good we go to the pub with the best outside area. But it's great to walk into a pub and not have the smell of smoke."

Michael MacCready, 33, Dublin (smoker) ​

"I don't mind going outside for a smoke. But I do tend to go to the place with the best outside facilities so I don't have to go wandering off to find somewhere to light up."

Mark Dodd, 25, Dublin (non-smoker)​

"It's annoying if you are out with a couple of smokers and you're the only non-smoker and they keep popping outside. That's why having a beer garden is great because then everyone can stand outside together."

Advice from Irish publicans ​

Derek Garry, manager, Quays Bar, Dublin ​

"Start working on outdoor areas straight away. A lot of publicans didn't do that here because they weren't sure the ban was going to last. Also think about introducing music to get customers into your pub."

Mark Moran, manager, Bruxelles, Dublin ​

"You'll have to grin and bear it for the first few months, but your business will pick up. Entertainment is an option to bring people in, but sometimes music means people can't have a conversation."

Dona Watchorne, licensee, Lethean, Portlaoise​

"If there's any area you can make use of as a smoking area, make it as pretty and comfortable as possible. Licensees need to start ordering canopies now as companies that supply them will be really busy in the build-up to the ban."

Martin Deegan, Temple Bar, Dublin ​

"Provide as good a beer garden as you can to suit your premises - it will be essential to have it. The ban will be a talking point for the first six months, but once people see that it's the law it shouldn't be a major problem."