Are you busy later? I'm going to that new Irish bar, do you fancy coming with me? Yes, OK. But I'm sure it won't be at all like the real pubs in Ireland. What's the difference? In Ireland, pubs or public houses began very differently to how they are today. Before, most households were self-sufficient, brewing enough of their own ale for day to day needs. That sounds more like a “personal house” not a "public house"! What changed? It didn't take long for people to see the benefits in brewing more beer and selling it. So they made their houses into little shops? Yes, these makeshift "beer-shops" were usually attached to simple stores that sold potatoes, butter, bread and other necessities. But in shops people buy what they want and go home. They don't stand around drinking. Customers who visited these shops would stop to sample the brews and would perhaps linger to chat a while as friends or neighbours came and went.