Global beer brand Heineken has launched a worldwide advertising campaign to help independent Irish pub owner Joseph ‘Josie’ McLoughlin find a successor to take over the family-run McLoughlin’s Bar on the rural Achill Island, as part of its wider “Love for Pubs” initiative.
A fourth generation McLoughlin, Josie was born upstairs in the pub, and when his parents passed, he took the reins and has been behind the bar for the past 43 years.
Like many families in Ireland, Josie’s relatives now live all over the world and he has no-one to pass the pub on to. So now, at retirement age, he is looking for a namesake to take over the running of the pub and keep the family name above the door.
Josie’s family has run McLoughlin’s for 155 years. He explained: “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. 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.”
Heineken, in partnership with creative agencies LePub and Publicis Dublin, has stepped in to help Josie and his partner Jackie launch a search for a new custodian who will keep the McLoughlin tradition – and the heart of the pub – alive. Someone who can act as the next guardian of a rich tapestry of stories, pints and, of course, the craic.
It is using its global reach to launch a recruitment campaign, with towering billboards and eye-catching ads being erected in cities worldwide where large numbers of Irish people have emigrated, including New York, Boston, Sydney, Auckland, Buenos Aires and Phan Thiet in Vietnam.
A widespread digital and PR campaign, timed to coincide with St Patrick’s Day and supported by a trio of PR agencies – The Romans (global), Thinkhouse (Ireland) and M Booth (US) – will search for a suitable McLoughlin.
Heineken will also be offering a succession package to “the new McLoughlin” 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.
With names such as O’Donoghue, Fitzpatrick and McLoughlin’s above their doors, Irish pubs face the challenge of succession. Many publicans like Josie have dedicated their lives to their pubs, to find they have no-one to take over their legacy.
Heineken wants to ensure that pubs remain at the heart of social life in Ireland and beyond. The campaign is part of its support campaign ‘For the Love of Pubs’ which includes a suite of programmes which are dedicated to supporting and celebrating the pub trade.
Heineken Ireland marketing manager Mark Noble said: “When we heard Josie’s story, we just knew we had to do something to help. Pubs in Ireland are more than just places to enjoy a drink; they are living pieces of history, places of laughter, song, and kinship.
“With many of these institutions facing uncertain futures, we want to rally the Irish diaspora, inspiring a new generation of pub owners to take on not just a business, but a cultural legacy. For those who have longed to reconnect with their Irish heritage, this is more than an investment; it’s a homecoming: the chance to own a piece of Ireland, to pour a pint for old friends and new, and to keep the spirit of the pub alive for generations to come.”
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