According to figures just released as part of AIB’s Pubs Outlook 2018, there are 254 pubs in Sligo/Leitrim with one pub for every 469 people.

There are 203 pubs in Roscommon meaning there is one for every 417; 269 in Cavan/Monaghan, one for every 407; Longford/Westmeath has 259 meaning each pub serves 451 people on average and in Dongeal there are 365, one for every 417.

Mayo is the county with the most pubs per head of population in Ireland.

According to the figures there is one pub for every 323 people in Mayo.

On the other end of the spectrum is Dublin, which has one pub for every 1,649 people in the county.

The report looks at the state of the Irish pubs industry, and finds that while there is a degree of “stability and demand” for pubs in areas such as Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick, rural pubs are facing challenges.

The report found that Dublin has been the quickest to recover from the economic downturn and other cities are following suit.

Despite this stability and growth, many publicans are still vulnerable according to Tony Morrissey, the managing director of pub specialist auctioneering firm Morrisseys.

He said: “If a pub is not turning over €8,000-€9,000 a week in rural areas, then it’s going to be very difficult to survive."