If you want to get a snapshot of how Irish society has been transformed within a generation, take a trip out to the mid-Cork village of Dripsey.

Here, you will see that the main road hub which once composed of two thriving pubs - which famously formed the start and end point for the shortest St Patrick’s Day parade in the world at one time - has now become one.

The Weigh Inn remains open, but The Lee Valley Inn has been consigned to rubble in recent weeks, having served its last pint way back in 2007.

Just another pub in Cork to call last orders - and one of 2,000 to have shut nationwide in the last 20 years.

However, all is not lost for the local hospitality trade - far from it.

From Dripsey, head a few miles on the main road towards the city, and you will see the recently-opened Boathouse on the site of the former Griffins Garden Centre.

This café/restaurant has been doing a roaring trade since it opened in the spring - such was the demand in the early days, that the owners had to appeal to patrons for patience while staff bedded in!

On a recent Saturday, 650 customers reportedly dined and supped at the Boathouse - but they were supping tea, coffee, and soft drinks, not the pint of plain.

The owners of the Boathouse had already opened a coffee shop in nearby Coachford a couple of years ago, and clearly see plenty of demand for what they are offering - a pleasant place to stop by for a coffee and a cake, and a chat with a friend, or perhaps a light bite to eat.

This, in the space of a few miles, neatly encapsulates the drastic changes to Irish society in the past few decades.

Many pubs are struggling to stay afloat, while consumers can’t get enough of their caffeine........

© Evening Echo