A group of publicans has raised the shutters on the ThePub.ie, billed as Ireland’s first online pub. The virtual bar is designed to offer visitors a pub experience from the comfort of their own home.

The platform enables patrons to chat through a purpose-built media conferencing app on the site, where they’ll have the option of interacting with their friends exclusively on a private table, or mingle and meet new people on the public pub floor area chatting with other users.

The site is the brainchild of Sebastien Conway, Tim Cole and Doug Leddin, who developed the site in five weeks after they were forced to close their Ohana Bar and halt construction of their latest venture, Ava, following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Unlike other sites, ThePub.ie punters can chat uninterrupted for hours on end without needing to reconnect with their group or pay premium subscriptions.

The group plan to add additional features to ThePub.ie in the coming weeks, including charity gigs from popular Irish and international acts. Other features such as themed nights, table quizzes and enabling patrons to have food and drink orders delivered to their door are in development.

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Sebastien Conway commented: “Pubs play a key role in bringing communities together and as hospitality professionals we wanted to create something that allowed customers to experience the entertainment and craic that comes from a night in an Irish pub.

“We have huge ambitions for ThePub.ie as a new fun online social hub and we expect to have numerous interactive features added before the end of the month.”