Topless barmaid fails to save troubled pub from going bust
John Joe Fitzpatrick has been forced to close Browne's pub in Montpelier, Co Limerick, where a topless barmaid worked
Thursday January 31 2008
THE country's first bar to employ a topless barmaid has been forced to close its doors forever due to a lack of business.
Browne's bar, located on the Limerick side of the Shannon river in the picturesque Montpelier village, is no more -- despite the pub's infamous attempts to pull in the punters.
Owner John Joe Fitzpatrick's bar hit the headlines last October when he employed topless barmaid Yasmin in a desperate bid to revive his business.
The publican has now reluctantly decided to sell his pub licence to one of the world's largest chain supermarkets, Aldi.
"As everyone knows, I literally tried everything I could to keep the pub afloat but it just wasn't happening," he told the Irish Independent.
Aldi bought the licence from the Limerick publican for €175,000.
"Basically, because of the downturn in business in the pub trade in recent years, it was no longer a viable option. A lot of pub licences have been sold recently. It is a dying trade.
"What killed it for me was the breathalyser the morning after. I might have had 10 to 15 regulars but they all held driving jobs and couldn't take the risk any more. Their livelihood would be gone if they were caught the next morning. The morning after breathalyser has forced too many away from the pubs," Mr Fitzpatrick added.
"A lot of publicans have been forced to sell their licences. I have heard of some going for around €155,000 and that is just to settle up with the Revenue."
The controversial publican said he will now concentrate on a plant hire business and car boot sales in Limerick.
The quaint pub gained worldwide publicity after the Irish Independent revealed that drinkers travelled from all over the country each Thursday night to have a drink served by Yasmin, who wore a smile and little else.
Mr Fitzpatrick gave credit to his English employee for improving the flagging love lives of some couples in the area. He said that some wives encouraged their partners to have a drink in the bar and return home in a more amorous mood.
However, the pub also gained criticism from many quarters and Mr Fitzpatrick also felt the wrath of his local priest.
Fr Brendan Kyne said he and many of his parishoners were completely against the practice employed at the bar.
Browne's bar nestled smugly between a community centre and local church in the tourist village.
Fr Kyne said people were trying to rear families in the community and it was exploitation of the human body.
Mr Fitzpatrick defended his business methods and claimed that far more could be seen on any beach in Ireland or viewed on TV's 'Big Brother'.
"It is gone now, but I have no regrets. Business picked up for a bit after Yasmin came in and we knocked two months out of it. It was a bit of a novelty for everyone, but in the end I had to close," Mr Fitzpatrick said.
As for Yasmin. It is believed the blonde-haired beauty is now working in a more 'normal' job elsewhere in the country.
- Barry Duggan
