Welcome to the new normal


    WITH the coronavirus lockdown easing last week Fermanagh saw its business trade getting back to some sort of normality.   ‘Operation Restart’ is being welcomed by everyone even though things are much different from when lockdown first began in mid March. Businesses across the county have been gearing themselves up for the re-opening […]

Rural pubs ‘to lose out’ under new regulations


WHILE many of us are eagerly awaiting the reopening of pubs here on July 3, it seems many local publicans are unhappy with new regulations which they say would discriminate against smaller rural licensed premises. The announcement that pubs and hotels were to reopen came with the caveat that the end of lockdown only applied […]

Pandemic pints…freshly pulled & delivered to your door


ONE LOCAL pub is determined to keep thirsty punters happy over the pandemic with a delivery service offering freshly pulled pints and a selection of cocktails delivered to your door. While the future seems so uncertain for pubs across Ireland hit by the lockdown, some bars are already finding ways to keep their customers smiling. […]

Last orders… are rural pubs in terminal decline?


COULD there be a slow death of rural pubs on the horizon? Figures released by ‘Hospitality Ulster’ would certainly suggest so.  There are now around 40 fewer pubs in Fermanagh and Omagh than there was back in 2001, with around 450 jobs in pubs and bars across the area showing a 25.0% decrease since 2001 […]

‘Crippling’ hike in rates leaves pubs on the brink


A SELECTION of local pub owners are now facing “uncertain times” following the massive increase to business rates by the ‘Land and Property Service’ (LPS) across the county.  Despite promises made by the LPS and the Department of Finance (DoF) to be “fair and effective” in the rebalance of business rates, the Herald has learned […]

More pubs to shut as punters switch to home comforts


THERE is growing concern for the future of pubs in the Fermanagh area amid fears that rising costs could force more to call time on trading. It follows the release of new research which reveals that 25 pubs are now closing every week across the UK, as the industry suffers amid unprecedented cost pressures. Data […]

Pubs bemoan lost trade over Easter


A PUBLICAN in Fermanagh has described a loss of close to 50% during the Easter period as a result of licensing laws that have continued to plague pub owners across the North.