It might be that it serves the best pint around or maybe it’s simply where everybody knows your name. Whatever the reason, a huge number of us keep a special place in our heart for the local pub.
With the launch this week of the Newstalk Best Local 2009, in association with the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI ), the search is on for the nation’s top local pub. Customers in Westmeath now have the chance to vote for their ‘watering hole’ of choice and help it get the national recognition they feel it so richly deserves.
Starting next Monday, July 13, and running for two weeks, listeners of the Sean Moncrieff Show on Newstalk 106-108 fm will be encouraged to text in the name and location of their favourite local pub. All those who vote will be in with the chance of scooping a top prize of a holiday worth €4,000, or one of four runner-up weekend breaks in Ireland worth €500 each.
Voting lines will close on Friday, July 24, at which point the pub with the highest number of votes from each of the four provinces will be selected to go through to the final. Over the following weeks each of the four provincial finalists will be interviewed live on air by Moncrieff’s roving reporter.
Lines will then reopen for a final round of voting before the winner is revealed live on air on Friday, August 7. The winning pub will celebrate in style by playing host to a special live broadcast to the nation on Friday, August 14.
Sean Moncrieff said: “We know only too well through feedback from our listeners how important the local pub can be to people. In many cases, it is considered as much a source of community pride as the local GAA or rugby club. We thought it would be fun if we put this theory to the test and we were delighted when the VFI agreed to get involved.”
The Newstalk Best Local 2009 is open to participating Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI ) pubs only. Customers should check with their local pub to see if they are taking part and stay tuned to Newstalk 106-108 fm or log onto www.newstalk.ie/bestlocal or www.vfi.ie for further details.
