Heineken to assist Mayo publican find a successor to family pub

HEINEKEN is launching a worldwide recruitment campaign to find a successor for Mayo publican Josie McLoughlin, the owner of a family pub on Achill Island.

The global campaign will include billboards across the world where Irish communities are strong - from Times Square in NYC to Sydney, Australia - seeking a 'McLoughlin' to step in and restart life on Achill Island.

McLoughlin's pub, a fourth-generation family pub in Achill Sound established in 1870, faces an uncertain future as Josie McLoughlin seeks a new custodian to continue its rich legacy. The Dutch-beer company Heineken is stepping in to help Josie find a suitable namesake, launching a global search to keep the McLoughlin name above the door.

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“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,” Josie explained.

“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.”

This initiative marks the Irish launch of ‘For the Love of Pubs,’ a transformative new programme over the next three years, designed to support, sustain, and celebrate Irish pubs. Heineken will offer a comprehensive succession package to the chosen candidate, 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.

Fiona Curtin, Marketing Director, Heineken Ireland, said: “For the Love of Pubs is more than just an investment; it’s a statement of intent. We believe that Irish pubs need to continue to be the thriving, beating heart of Irish communities, and we’re working in partnership with publicans to find refreshing ways to do business. We want to give back to the places that have given so much to Ireland's social fabric.”

Speaking about the initiative, Pat Crotty, CEO of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) said: “Rising costs, changing consumer habits and industry pressures have presented great challenges for some in the pub trade. But our industry is resilient, strong and ambitious. Heineken Ireland has always shown commitment to meaningful, long-term support for the industry, and never fails to find new and innovative ways of doing things. For the Love of Pubs feels like the right programme at the right time, to support an industry for a thriving future.”