Latest news with #Joseph'Josie'McLoughlin
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Worldwide search launched to find new owner of 155-year-old Irish pub — with one key requirement
A worldwide search has been launched to find a successor to run a 155-year-old family-owned pub in Ireland. McLoughlin's Pub on Achill Island, off the country's west coast, is currently run by Joseph 'Josie' McLoughlin. He was born upstairs in the pub and has worked there for 43 years. Heineken is running the recruitment drive to find Josie's successor after he retires, with one key requirement for the job — the new owner must have the same surname. The initiative was launched for St Patrick's Day and the search will continue until the end of May.
Euronews
17-03-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Heineken campaign aims to find new owner for family-run Irish pub
Family-run pubs are an institution in Ireland. Yet, these charming generational spots are increasingly at risk as many landlords considering retirement don't have family to take over from them. This fact has undoubtedly inspired Dutch beer brand Heineken to play a version of the generation game by trying to change that pattern in one Irish pub - it's launching a search for a successor to take over McLoughlin's Bar. Over the past two decades, pubs across Ireland have faced closure. Figures from Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) show that since 2005, an average of 114 pubs have closed every year. The highest percentage of closures came from more rural counties, such as Limerick, Roscommon, and Cork, while Dublin had the lowest percentage of closures. Many of the pubs facing closure are independent locations that have been run by families for generations. More than 40% of rural publicans say they are considering retirement, yet 84% have no family to take over their legacy. For one pub on the rural Achill Island, Heineken has kicked off a campaign to keep it independent. Joseph 'Josie' McLoughlin owns McLoughlin's Bar on the west coast of Ireland. He's been behind the bar for the past 43 years. He was born upstairs in the pub and is the fourth generation of McLoughlins' to run the venue. Like many families in Ireland, McLoughlin's family now live all over the world and he has no-one to pass the pub on to. So now, at retirement age, he is looking for a namesake to take over the running of the pub and keep the family name above the door. After keeping the pub in the family for 155 years, he explains: 'I have no one to leave the pub to, and I'd resigned myself to looking for a buyer outside the family and seeing my name being lost to history. That would just break my heart.' 'The name McLoughlin is woven into the very fabric of this pub. The past 50 years have been incredibly fulfilling for me and I'd love to see that story continue, finding a McLoughlin descendant to take it forward. If I could guarantee the McLoughlin name would still be above the door of the pub in another 155 years, I'd die a happy man,' he says. Heineken's campaign to find a new independent owner is aimed at the 88 million Irish descendants spread across the globe. Ahead of St Patrick's Day, it's offering a succession package to 'the new McLoughlin' including business support, initial investment guidance, and mentorship. 'When we heard Josie's story, we just knew we had to do something to help. Pubs in Ireland are more than just places to enjoy a drink; they are living pieces of history, places of laughter, song, and kinship,' says Mark Noble, Marketing Manager at Heineken Ireland. 'With many of these institutions facing uncertain futures, we want to rally the Irish diaspora, inspiring a new generation of pub owners to take on not just a business, but a cultural legacy. For those who have longed to reconnect with their Irish heritage, this is more than an investment; it's a homecoming: the chance to own a piece of Ireland, to pour a pint for old friends and new, and to keep the spirit of the pub alive for generations to come,' he adds. Ever since the Amazon acquisition of creative control over the James Bond franchise from longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael J. Wilson, many questions have been asked. Are we going to be subjected to a watering down of the beloved film legacy with countless soul-draining spin-offs? What direction is 007 going to go in now, and which filmmaker will guide Bond into its new era? Most of all though, who will play this new chapter's James Bond? Henry Cavill seems to be the people's choice. Frequently mentioned names include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Norton, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Richard Madden, Rege-Jean Page and Tom Hardy. Now, a new name has been added to the ever-growing list and foreign governments are even getting involved... Poland's prime minister Donald Tusk has unexpectedly thrown Jesse Eisenberg's name into the mix by making a tongue-in-cheek offer to the US actor and director behind the Oscar-nominated A Real Pain. Eisenberg, who recently gained Polish citizenship and has starred in films like The Social Network, Zombieland and the Now You See Me trilogy, was offered military training by Tusk - a crash course that would land him 'the new James Bond role.' Tusk posted a video on X that showed him watching a clip of an appearance by Eisenberg on NBC's The Tonight Show. In that appearance, Eisenberg said, to laughter, that a day after he received citizenship he looked at the news 'and the top story was 'Poland now requires all males to participate in military training.'" In his video, Tusk said: 'Dear Jesse, there's really nothing to be afraid of!' He noted that military training is voluntary. 'So come over to Poland! And we'll give you such a training that, the new James Bond role? It's yours!' Who knew it was that easy nabbing cinema's most sought-after role? Tusk said on 7 March that his government was working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe. The Polish PM said that there's a need for an army of 500,000 soldiers, more than double the current number, which would include reservists. He added last week that the government intends to put 100,000 volunteers through military training each year starting in 2027 as it seeks to build an army of reservists. He said he was "convinced that there will be no shortage of volunteers.' Not when 00 status is within reach...
