PUBLICANS in West Cork have predicted more pub closures as the price of a pint is set to go up next month.

Guinness owner Diageo has announced that the cost of its draught products to publicans will go up by seven cent a pint from February 2nd.

The price hike is expected to see punters paying around 20 cent more at the bar.

Diageo cited rising costs across several areas, including wage inflation, energy prices, as well as logistical and regulation challenges as the reasons behind the increase.

The brewing giant said the decision was unavoidable because of mounting financial pressures.

But West Cork publicans say the increase will put additional strain on their businesses, predicting more pub closures in the region.

Shane Browne, leaseholder at John O’Brien Pub in Clonakilty, said: ‘Nobody is happy about it. It’s already a struggle for the wet pubs, the pubs that don’t serve food. Even without the price hikes there will be pub closures.’

Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire), who runs the Boston Bar in Bantry and chairs Bantry Vintners Association, said: ‘We can’t afford to take the increase and will have to pass it on to the punters. I think this is the fourth price hike in just over three-and-a-half years from Diageo. Their shares are always rising and it’s the publicans and customers losing out. Everyone I’ve spoken to is of the same frame of mind,’ he said.

‘In four or five years we will see a lot of pubs closing. I was speaking to one publican from another village in West Cork who said he had to close up early on a Tuesday evening because there was no one coming in,’ he added.

Cllr Collins said the price of spirits had also gone up, as had staff wages and digital TV subscriptions while calls to reduce VAT had fallen on deaf ears.

The news of the price increase comes as a study looks at pint affordability across Ireland, showing that pint prices have risen faster than pay.

According to findings from casino.org, the national average price of a pint of stout has climbed to €6.08 (November 2025), compared to €4.66 in 2019.

Over a similar period, median weekly earnings rose from €598.36 (2019) to €730.89 (2024), according to the report.

The study also showed that County Cork ranked at number four in the top five counties regarding the amount of time spent at work to earn a pint.

People in Cork work an average of 17m44s for a pint costing a median of €5.80.

The worst hit county is Clare, where people work an average of  25m44s for a pint costing €5.50, according to the study.