If you have ever consumed a pint of Guinness, you might have noticed yourself feeling relaxed and even a bit loquacious. Maybe it’s the ABV (alcohol by volume), the velvety texture from the perfect pour, or the warm pub environment – it’s easy to see how this concoction is so beloved. But how did we get into a position where we could find such a brew in almost every town?
The answer begins in Athlone, Ireland, in 900 AD, when Sean’s Bar, arguably the first-ever pub, opened. Even in the early days, establishments like Sean’s were more than just places to drink; they were the heart of the community. The pub was a place where the spirit of camaraderie was palpable; people gathered to share news, listen to storytellers, and enjoy traditional Irish music. This facet of Irish culture was poured, consumed, and honed over centuries, pints, and brawls.
The 1169 Norman Invasion and later British Occupation of Ireland brought a new layer to pub culture. The pub served as a haven for insurgency. Local watering holes doubled as meeting locations for rebels and revolutionaries; they were places of idea exchange where the seeds of independence were sown. The annals of history cannot possibly account for every pub that poured patriotism alongside pints. Still, two made it into the books: The Hole in the Wall, located in County Kilkenny, was a meeting place for Confederate leaders during the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. Over in Dublin, Brazen Head is fabled to be the meeting spot for leaders of the 1798 Rebellion. These discreet and convivial environments were the perfect cover for plotting without prying eyes.
Forty-two years before the 1801 Act of Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, a pivotal event in Irish history occurred. In 1759, the stout beverage that may be the most recognizable element of any authentic pub was born: Guinness. A proper Guinness might be called a product of “divine inspiration” by its devotees. You don’t realize it has a cult following until one of its fans explains the three-minute pouring process. Many students of history will affirm Britain as the main character of the Irish past, and they could be right. But I’d argue that Guinness is a main character of the Irish future – though – it would be centuries until that hero’s journey gets underway.
If anyone on the Emerald Isle was celebrating the creation of the United Kingdom, that was snuffed out with the onset of the Great Famine. While 1845-1852 marked a great tragedy for the Irish people, it was also the moment when the pub became an accidental export. The famine made the pub the one place where everyday people could escape from a harsh reality and fend off loneliness in the company of friends and strangers alike. While the famine brought the huddled masses into the pub’s warmth, it also flung them far and wide in search of a better life. As the Irish left for new lands and sought opportunities, they brought their pub culture with them. In every new community they settled, they created their own space to pour Guinness the right way.
The pub as an export, and the casks of Guinness that came with them, went largely unnoticed for decades. The good people working at The Guinness Brewery were too busy enjoying their mugs of dark beer to discern the correlation between a pub opening and a spike in Guinness sales any earlier. But at some point in the 20th century, the Guinness marketing team started to pay more attention to their sales abroad. Numbers became narrative, and the brains behind Guinness realized that many quarter-Irish men were scattered throughout the world, yearning for a pub culture they had only experienced as a reproduction of the original. Seeking a way to tap that market, they studied what makes an Irish pub an Irish pub—from the dark wood, Guinness, dim lighting, art, etc.—and developed a formula to assemble such an authentic establishment. This formula became the basis of their new consultancy, “The Irish Pub Concept,” whose sole purpose was to bring authentic pubs abroad, casks of Guinness in tow. Since the venture began in the 1990s, almost 10,000 pubs in over 150 countries have opened under its guidance.
That is 10,000 new touchpoints for Irish culture, 10,000 new hubs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and 10,000 new homes to cultivate a love for the Irish way of life. And that doesn’t even count the copycat groups and solo entrepreneurs who have also successfully opened their establishments. Famous Irish pubs like McSorley’s Old Ale House in New York City and The Auld Dubliner in Long Beach, California, have become iconic symbols of Irish culture abroad. These establishments are not just places to drink but cultural ambassadors, introducing people to Irish traditions, music, and camaraderie.
Today, Irish pubs are potent tools of public diplomacy. They facilitate cultural exchange, creating an accessible place for traditional Irish anthems, folklore, memorabilia of history, and a warm and welcoming environment. Non-Irish patrons can enter a pub and experience a piece of Ireland first-hand without leaving their home city. Pubs also build community amongst diaspora populations, offering a familiar gathering place to strengthen Irish identity amongst emigrants. I guarantee that you’ll hear that friendly Irish accent anytime, anywhere you’re in a pub. Of course, pubs also generate a positive economic impact, creating jobs, increasing local tourism, and inspiring people to travel to the Emerald Isle.
These elements serve the central tenet of public diplomacy: enhancing Ireland’s reputation abroad. Think about it: the population of Ireland is around 5 million people, similar to countries like Georgia, the Republic of the Congo, Liberia, and Turkmenistan. Yet, you know much more about Irish culture, largely thanks to the cultural Mecca of the Irish pub. Without the pub, what would you know of Ireland? Without the pub, how would the Irish diaspora (many times larger than the population living within Ireland’s borders) find community? And without the pub, how would you get a properly poured Guinness?
So the next time you step into a McSorley’s, O’Leary’s, or Fibber Magee’s remember that you’re not just enjoying a pint; you’re participating in a centuries-old tradition that celebrates the very essence of Ireland and promotes a future where everyone feels like they could be a little bit Irish.