Ireland’s rugged West Coast is one of the most beautiful stretches of coast on the planet, and Achill Island, a lush little spot which sits at its edge, boasts some of the region’s loveliest scenery – and also one of its most wholesome pubs.
McLoughlin’s Bar has been run by the same family for the last 155 years, but current owner Joseph ‘Josie’ McLoughlin, the fourth-generation who took it over 43 years ago, is looking for a new landperson to take the reins. But there’s a catch – you need to be a McLoughlin to be in with a chance.
‘Looking for a buyer outside the family and seeing my name being lost to history…would just break my heart. The name McLoughlin is woven into the very fabric of this pub,’ says Josie, ‘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.’
So, Josie and his partner Jackie are on a mission, and beer brand Heineken are helping him out. How? Well, across cities with famously high numbers of Irish immigrants (we’re talking New York, Boston, Sydney, Auckland, Buenos Aires and Phan Thiết), the brand is launching billboards and adverts to try and find a McLoughlin.
But a PR campaign is far from all. The brand is also financing a ‘succession package’ to help the newbie get their pub footing – it will include investment guidance, business support and mentorship.
It’s all part of a wider project named ‘For the Love of Pubs’ which champions the pub trade, and about the McLoughlin callout, Heineken Ireland’s marketing manager Mark Noble said that ‘pubs in Ireland are more than just places to enjoy a drink; they are living pieces of history, places of laughter, song, and kinship. 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. ’
There 88 million Irish descendants out there, so the chances of finding one who wants to take over this lovely spot are pretty solid.
Could it be you? Visit this website to learn more and apply. Oh, and have a gander of the best things to do in Ireland while you’re at it.
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