Begorrah boozers opened up everywhere in the 80s and early 90s, with the big pub companies spending millions on making bars look authentically tatty.

But, as with all fads, the magic wore off. There’s only so many times a Polish barmaid can ask you about “the craic” before you lose the will to live.

The only Irish pub I can think of locally is O’Leary’s in Southport. There’s good service as far as I can see but the only thing worth drinking is Guinness, and that is a shadow of its former self.

Sipping a pint, you can just detect the ghost of toasted malt that made the harp famous, but otherwise Guinness is a dead pint, a black lager, as Tandleman recently said.

Even in Ireland sales are down. In fact, keg-only Ireland is an example of how Britain would have gone if it was not for the formation of the Campaign for Real Ale in 1971.

However, if you get an Irish pub right it can be something special. Great nights have been had in Liverpool at Flanagan’s Apple and Pogue Mahone’s. American-Irish bars are even better for foul-mouthed fun.

The difference between these pubs and others round the country is real Irish customers and staff. Liverpool still has a sizable Irish population and plenty of people of diasporic descent, like my good self, who pine for the blarney after a couple of glasses of Jamesons.

If anyone is thinking of opening an Irish pub – and there are rumours of one in the pipeline in Southport – there’s some things they have to take care of.

Forgot all the Guinness memorabilia, sacks of sawdust and rusting prams on the ceiling, an Irish pub stands or falls on the entertainment it offers.

Ideally there should be real Irish music sessions, gigs by jobbing bands like Cream of the Barley, Irish sports on the box, and barmaids who love nothing better than conversing with half-drunk plastic paddies.

A bit of a Republican edge doesn’t hurt either and I’d recommend any potential landlord to hire a Liam Neeson lookalike to brood in the corner.

Said brooder should pass round a collection bucket “for the bhoys” on a regular basis, growling at those who refuse to lob a quid in that they’d better “watch their backs”.

If the bar is in Southport, however, it may be wise to play this down come mid July.

The long-empty former Harvey’s restaurant, next to the Southport Casino, is rumoured to be up for conversion into an Irish theme pub.

Blarney boozers are not as popular as they used to be, indeed there’s only one (O’Leary’s) in Southport at the moment.

You rarely get good beer at an Irish pub, the motherland doesn’t do cask ale except in one or two brew pubs, but if you get an Irish pub right it can be something special. Great nights have been had in Liverpool at Flannagan’s Apple and Pogue Mahone’s, I even used to enjoy the odd visit to the old Scruffy Murphy’s with the right sort of company.

The difference between these pubs and others round the country is real Irish customers and staff. Liverpool still has a large Irish population and plenty of people of Irish descent, like my good self, who love a drink and a conversation.

One of the reasons I like the Mason’s Arms in Southport so much is the Irish characters that go there.

If there’s going to be an Irish pub in Harvey’s I hope there’s real Irish music, sessions, stew on demand and Irish sports on the box. A bit of a Republican edge never hurts either, although they may want to play that down come mid July.

If they make an effort to do it right, it could be an asset to the town.