Global beer brand Heineken has launched a worldwide recruitment campaign to help an independent Irish pub owner find a new successor. Joseph ‘Josie’ McLoughlin owns McLoughlin’s Bar on the rural Achill Island. Situated at the “edge of the world,” the pub rests against the backdrop of the wild, beautiful landscape of West Ireland where ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ was filmed.
A fourth generation McLoughlin, Josie was born upstairs in the pub, and when his parents passed, he took the reins and has been behind the bar for the past 43 years.
Like many families in Ireland, McLoughlin’s kin 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.
Josie, whose family has run McLoughlin’s for 155 years, 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.”
Heineken has stepped in to help McLoughlin and his partner Jackie launch a worldwide search for a new custodian who’ll keep the McLoughlin tradition – and the heart of the pub – alive. Someone who can act as the next guardian of a rich tapestry of stories, pints and, of course, the craic.
It is using its global reach to launch a recruitment campaign, with towering billboards and eye-catching ads being erected in cities worldwide where large numbers of Irish people have emigrated, including New York, Boston, Sydney, Auckland, Buenos Aires and Phan Thiết (Vietnam). A widespread digital and PR campaign will leave no stone unturned in the search for a suitable McLoughlin.
Heineken will also be offering a succession package to “the new McLoughlin” to help them get their feet behind the bar, including mentorship, business support and initial investment guidance to ensure the pub remains a thriving part of the community.
Heineken says it has long believed the pub is the home of socializing “and nowhere is this truer than in Ireland.”
It adds, “Whether it’s a big pub in the city, or a local that members of the community rely on for celebrations and get togethers, it’s the friendly spirit of these institutions that Heineken strives to protect.”
The campaign is part of a wider pub support campaign ‘For the Love of Pubs,’ which includes a suite of program that are dedicated to supporting and celebrating the pub trade.
Mark Noble, Marketing Manager at Heineken Ireland, says, “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. 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.”
All it will take is finding just one of the 88 million people of Irish descent who want to reconnect with their roots by owning a pub that bears their namesake.
If you’re a McLoughlin and you’re passionate about keeping the family name above the door for future generations, there’s a pub in Ireland with your name on it.
Visit www.pubsuccession.com to learn more and apply. For Irish publicans looking for support and resources they can visit www.loveofpubs.com.
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