We can’t think of a Dublin without late bars, nevermind thinking about a capital that closes its pub doors on the stroke of 10pm.
Well, that could be the future for the next while as pubs may be forced to shut their doors because of the latest band of water restrictions.
Irish Water has imposed a night time restriction on the water power in the Greater Dublin Area, something which is to be reviewed on Monday.
However, A spokesperson for Licensed Vintners Association (the trade association and representative body for the publicans of Dublin) Donall O’Keefe told the The Irish Daily Star that publicans cannot run a business with limited water.
“As we head towards the weekend, pubs get busier. We do the bulk of our business after 10pm. Most people are people able to water tank the water source to get through a couple of hours of trading.
“There are two big water usages in pubs. Kitchens can’t function without water, in terms of food preparation and washing up, and toilets. If you have no water supply, you have to close the pubs. You just can’t operate with no water.”
“We operate late at night, after the 10pm restriction, and operate at a high level capacity over the weekend. We would be stressing to Irish Water the need for water for pubs and the wider hospitality sector,” he told the publication.
Most of Dublin is restricted to a level 2 access to water meaning they experience low night-time pressure but don’t lose supply completely.
The time period for Level 2 water restrictions takes place between 10pm to 5am.
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