The average price of a pint of stout nationally and a pint of lager have been revealed as inflation rose 7.8% in May, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Due to the closure of pubs in line with public health restrictions over the past two years, no similar data was collected in May 2020 or 2021, but the average Guinness cost €4.65 and a pint of beer would cost €5.04 prior to the pandemic in May 2019.

The new figures mean prices have risen by 47 cent or 10.1% for stout and 46 cent or 9.1% for lager since May 2019 as pubs prepare for their first non-Covid-affected summer for three years.

That puts the average price of a pint of Plain at €5.12 and the average price of a pint of lager at €5.50

Meanwhile, price of canned lager (€2.16) and cider (€2.36) has risen 27.9 cent and 14.1 cent, respectively, year-on-year.

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Elsewhere, the price of spaghetti is up 19.3 cent since last May while 2.5kg of potatoes now costs 28.5 cent less than it did a year ago.

White and brown slice pans have also risen in price, increasing 12.4 cent and 17.4 cent respectively over the past 12 months.

The latest average price figures come as the country experienced its highest level of inflation since the third quarter of 1984, so long ago that the basket of goods and services used to measure inflation then included monochrome TVs, telegrams and LP records.

The main driver of inflation has been fuel and energy though, with the price of energy products having increased 46.3% since last May, with the price of housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels and transport having risen 20.9% and 16.5% in that time.

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