THERE is clear evidence that the licensed trade across Ireland has been undergoing fundamental shifts over recent years, with particularly sharp differences emerging between urban and rural districts.

The indications are that bars in our cities and towns are as busy as ever, but many of their counterparts in villages and country areas are either facing an uncertain future or have already gone.

All this matters because, while alcohol plainly offers at least as many risks as advantages, rational arguments can be advanced that enjoying it in company brings social benefits and will usually be safer than drinking alone at home.

If the option of going to a pub and meeting friends no longer exists for a serious number of our citizens, it is reasonable to suspect that Irish society will change significantly and not necessarily for the better.

Elaine Crory: The lies around the Enoch Burke saga cannot go unchallenged

Noel Doran: The true cost of pub closures in Ireland

If the option of going to a pub and meeting friends no longer exists for a serious number of our citizens, it is reasonable to suspect that Irish society will........

© The Irish News