Price of a beer edges closer to a tenner as Ireland's most expensive pint revealed

Our man paid the mind-boggling figure for a pint of Heineken in the Temple Bar pub in Dublin in the early hours of Friday morning.

It is just one of several pubs in the busy tourist hotspot in central Dublin now charging such a price for a pint of lager.

And industry experts predict that with inflation running at over 8% that within a year or two the barrier of €10 for a pint could be surpassed.

The hefty €8.90 is the price of most pints of larger for a 'late drink' in the popular Temple Bar pub.

But even during regular hours the price of a pint of the likes of Heineken or Carlsberg in the bustling hostelry is a stiff €8.60.

A pint of Guinness in the same establishment during regular hours costs €7.60 before going up to €7.90 after midnight.

But that price of Guinness is actually cheap in comparison to some others in the Temple Bar area with many charging as much as €8.10.

The Merchant's Arch charges €8.10 for a late pint of Guinness, compared to €7.10 during regular hours.

The same pub also matches the Temple Bar by charging €8.90 for several variations of lager, including Harp, and also cider, during late hours (regular hours are €7.90).

The nearby Norseman pub is charging €7.90 for most lagers, including Heineken and Carlsberg, during regular hours and €8.60 for a late one.

The same pricing also applies to ale and cider, while a pint of Guinness there will cost you €6.90 before midnight and €7.80 after.

A glass of wine there costs €9.40 in early hours and €9.70 late, while a pint bottle of Bulmers there is €8.60 after midnight, €8,10 during regular hours.

Fitzsimons also in that locality will see you pay €7.30 for lager and cider, while stout costs €6.60 a pint.

Tourists we spoke to admitted the prices caught them unaware, but many were prepared to pay it.

"This is my first time here in 20 years and it's worth paying the extra for the music here," said Sarah from Austria, who was enjoying two traditional musician performances in the Temple Bar pub.

"The drinks are a lot more expensive than in Austria but we're only going to be in this pub the one night before doing a bit of sightseeing, so we're prepared to pay it. It's a great atmosphere and we don't see such incredible live music like this back home."

Just down the road, The Auld Dubliner did not appear to have its prices displayed but a barman told us that its early prices were €6.60 for a Guinness and €7.70 for a Carlsberg.

In the Oliver St John Gogarty an early Guinness is priced at €7.60 and a late one €7.80, while most pints of lager and cider start off at €8.60 and go up to €8.80.

Most spirits in the same bar cost from €8.20 to €8.70, so when a mixer is thrown in the single drink will cost you well over a tenner.

Over at Bad Bob's most lagers are €6.50 and a Guinness €6.30

There are more 'reasonable' prices to be had in Temple Bar, including believe it or not in the hotel partly owned by U2's Bono and The Edge.

The Clarence hotel is charging €6.20 for a pint of Heineken and €5.50 for a Guinness - the adjacent Anne's bar is charging €5.60 for a Guinness and €6.20 for a Heineken.

Just a few hundred metres away is Street 66, a LGBT venue which was recently voted by Lonely Planet at one of Ireland's top 20 pubs, and where Heineken and Guinness are both priced at €5.80 a pint.

Manchester students Charlie and Alfie looked soaked up pints of Guinness in the same pub.

"We were taken aback at the prices as in our student uni we'd only pay a couple of quid for pints in the college bar," said Charlie. "These are the type of prices you'd expect to pay in the likes of Chelsea in London or Paris maybe."

The Temple Bar pub has traditionally been one of the most expensive pubs in that area and before the pandemic was charging a maximum of €7.90 for a pint of lager. We reached out to its owner Tom Cleary for moment.

Most pubs around the county are now charging over €5 for a pint of Guinness and lager, although some can just reach below - our reporter paid €4.90 for a Guinness in the Kerryman pub in Summerhill in Cork city last weekend, while a pint of Tuborg in Dublin LGBT venue The George costs €4.50.

"[A price of] €8.90 is very high," said Vintners Federation on Ireland president John Clendennen,

"I would have thought around €7 would be the top price. From what you're saying from paying €4.90 for a pint of Guinness in Cork to over €8 in Dublin, there is certainly variance from bars in Temple Bar to a small rural pub.

John, who owns Giltraps pub in Kinnity, Co Offaly, said: "I'm a country publican and I can only give my opinion but over €8 for a pint of Guinness is shocking. I myself charge €5 for a Guinness and €5.50 for lager, which is pretty average for pubs outside Dublin."

The Licensed Vintner's Federation, which represents Dublin hostelries. A spokesperson for its CEO, Donal O'Keefe, said he was "unavailable" for comment.