An Buachaill Caol Dubh - I like your additions, with one more: the local cop gives the pub a 'heads-up' before coming to check on after-hours drinking. Then after a peremptory look-round, he comes back and joins the after-hours drinkers for one or two before continuing his appointed rounds.

Beachcomber - the pub-owner invests in a van/shuttle bus to ferry his drinking customers home for a small fee? Or push the designated-driver concept harder.

But the pub-in-a-box doesn't work for me.

When I had my tour group of Yanks home in Ireland a few years ago, I brought them into a lovely, well-appointed chain pub. We'd bought quite a few drinks and some grub, and they asked me to sing a few songs. So I pulled out the guitar and started to play when the manager came over and told me to quit, or we'd have to leave.

Now, the place wasn't very busy when we came in, with just some soap-opera on telly, and here's 45 Yanks eating and drinking and spending money, and the locals/regulars were enjoying the singing too.

I tried reasoning with the manager, "Look I brought these American visitors in here for a bite and a bit of craic. They're dropping a lot of money here. can I just do a few more tunes for them?"

'Absolutely not." says he. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

The locals began to boo, the Americans began to mutter darkly, and he became apoplectic. I put my guitar away, and got them to hell out of there. They mustn't have needed the business.

So now, no more chains or pubs-in-boxes for me.

Seamus