THE 'ham sambo' has got the heave-ho from the Irish pub menu. Mozarella cheese, pesto, sundried tomatoes are much more likely to be presented to hungry customers from the country's top pub lunch ...

His approach to The Irish Pub is to be as unobtrusive as possible, and let the cast of publicans and their customers tell their stories in their own time.

The conditions must be just right for the execution of Irish tapas: space for the open bag plating, room for everyone to reach in to take their share, a busy pub but not too packed.

Once a bona fide third space, the Irish pub – a venue for celebration, commiseration and kinship - whether you're drinking or not – is hitting breaking point, according to publicans.