Going out for a drink or drinking at home may be about to face a halfway house rival – the inflatable pub which brings the surroundings of a genuine pub onto your own doorstep or into your own back garden.

A pub scene which an Irish couple hope  to recreate with an inflatable pub for home rent

A pub scene which an Irish couple hope to recreate with an inflatable pub for home rent. Image by Yandle / CC BY 2.0

An Irish woman who has been part of the drinks industry for over a dozen years is now ready to launch her own pop-up pub this St Patrick’s weekend.

Mother of two, Caitriona Mulhern (40) from Donegal says there has been huge interest in her concept, the Irish Examiner reports.

Caitriona is working with her partner Paul and states that after finding the idea, they decided to go for it. While she says the reaction has been very favourable, she is aware that “the hard work only begins now.”

As someone who has a deep knowledge of the business, she knows that the pub habit has taken a nosedive in the past decade.

Marrying the concept of people drinking at home or having a party, with her own enterprise of providing a pub is something she hopes will take off.

Caitriona thinks that people will feel they are in a pub surroundings while being able “to drink at supermarket prices.”

From birthdays to parties to after-wedding receptions, the couple hope to cater for every requirement in home entertainment.

She added: “It is our intention to offer a first- class product.”

Her company will provide a unit capable of holding 80 people together with bar, lighting, flooring and seats for 20 sitting customers. People hiring the pop-up pub can decide to go the extra mile if they want to expand their night with a DJ or dance floor, she explains.

The basic cost of her inflatable pub will start at €300 but the person hiring it will provide their own drink.