Guide for Ireland
Pub opening and closing checklist for Irish pubs
5-star reviews on TrustpilotThis free checklist covers an Irish pub's opening and closing routine: safety walk-round, fridge and cellar checks, written allergen information out, tips policy on display, under-18s time limits, last orders by the legal closing time (11.30pm Monday to Thursday, 12.30am Friday and Saturday, 11pm Sunday, unless a Special Exemption Order applies), cash-up and lock-up. Copy it, adapt it to your pub, and have whoever opens and closes sign it.
On this page
Every pub has an opening and closing routine. The trouble is that it usually lives in one person's head, and on the night they're off, the cellar door gets left open or the float goes missing. Writing it down, and having the person on shift tick it off, is the cheapest control you'll ever put in.
This checklist is built for Irish pubs: it has the legal closing times, the under-18s limits and the written records an EHO, a Garda or your insurer may ask about. Copy it into a document or print it, cross out what doesn't apply, and add your own lines.
Pub opening checklist
| # | Check | Time | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alarm off; walk the whole building: bar, lounge, toilets, beer garden, smoking area | ||
| 2 | Fire exits open from the inside, unobstructed, signs lit; extinguishers in place | ||
| 3 | Floors dry and clear; spills, broken glass and trip hazards dealt with | ||
| 4 | Cellar: hatch closed and secure, gas cylinders upright and chained, floor dry | ||
| 5 | Fridges and freezers holding food read and logged (food at 5°C or below) | ||
| 6 | Hot-holding equipment on and reaching above 63°C before food goes in | ||
| 7 | Written allergen information out at the bar and with the menus | ||
| 8 | Tips and service charge policy on display (and online version current) | ||
| 9 | Licence and any notices required in your pub on display | ||
| 10 | Float counted and signed for; till and card machines working | ||
| 11 | Glass washer and ice machine clean and running; ice scoop out of the ice | ||
| 12 | Lines and taps checked; drip trays and nozzles clean | ||
| 13 | Toilets checked: soap, paper, hand drying, no damage | ||
| 14 | Roster checked: who's on, who's closing, any event or exemption tonight | ||
| 15 | Opening time respected: from 10.30am (12.30pm on Sunday) |
During service
| Check | When | Initials |
|---|---|---|
| Under-15s supervised and out by 9pm (10pm May to September) | Evening walk-round | |
| ID asked of anyone who looks under 25 (house policy) | All service | |
| Glass collected, floors and toilets checked | Every hour | |
| Hot-holding temperatures read and logged | At least twice a service | |
| Incidents, refusals and first aid noted at the time | As they happen |
Under-18s and the bar is tighter law than many new staff realise. Citizens Information says children under 15 must be supervised at all times and can only be on the premises from 10.30am to 9pm, or 10pm from May to September. Over-15s can stay later with a parent or guardian only at a private function with a substantial meal. Section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 makes it an offence for the licence holder to allow under-18s in the bar outside what's permitted, so make the evening check a named job, not a hope.
The "under 25" ID rule above is a house policy, not a legal requirement, but it's a common way to stop a sale to an under-18, which is an offence.
Pub closing checklist
| # | Check | Time | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonight's legal close confirmed (see table below) and any exemption noted | ||
| 2 | Last orders called; drinking-up time managed; no service after the close | ||
| 3 | All customers out; every area checked, including toilets and beer garden | ||
| 4 | Food covered, labelled and in the fridge; hot food cooled and in within 2 hours | ||
| 5 | Final fridge readings logged; any out-of-range reading reported | ||
| 6 | Hot-holding, fryers, coffee machine and glass washer off and cleaned | ||
| 7 | Bar wiped down; drip trays emptied; ice machine drained or covered | ||
| 8 | Bins out; glass and recycling to the right place | ||
| 9 | Cash-up done: till readings, card totals, cash counted twice, variance noted | ||
| 10 | Electronic tips recorded for the tips statement | ||
| 11 | Cash and float in the safe; safe locked | ||
| 12 | Cellar and keg store locked; hatch secured | ||
| 13 | Taps, gas and electrics off where they should be | ||
| 14 | Windows and doors locked; fire exits closed but not chained | ||
| 15 | Alarm set; keys returned; closer's name and leaving time recorded |
Legal closing times for Irish pubs
| Day | Latest time for drinking on the premises |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 11.30pm |
| Friday and Saturday | 12.30am |
| Sunday | 11pm |
| With a Special Exemption Order | As the order allows, 2.30am at the latest |
These are the hours Citizens Information lists for pubs serving alcohol on the premises. Proposals to change them under the Sale of Alcohol Bill have not become law. For licence types and renewals, see pub licences and opening hours.
Why the cash-up and tips lines matter
Under the Tips and Gratuities Act, electronic tips and any service charge must be distributed fairly to staff, you can't keep a share (beyond tax, direct costs such as card fees, or a fair share where you regularly do the same work as staff), and staff are entitled to a statement of tips for each period. Recording card tips at every cash-up gives you the figures for that statement. Your displayed tips policy must also say how cash tips are handled. See our Tips Act guide.
Why the safety lines matter
The HSA's Safe Hospitality guidance for bars covers the hazards behind most of the opening checks: slips, trips and falls, cuts from broken glass, manual handling of kegs and crates, the pub cellar and keg store, the cellar hatch, gas safety, electricity and fire safety. Your safety statement and risk assessments should cover these for your pub, and the checklist is how they turn into daily habits. Our guide to safety statements and risk assessments explains what's required.
If someone is hurt, record it the same night. The HSA expects an employer to keep a record of accidents for ten years, and some accidents must be reported. See accident reporting to the HSA.
How to use this checklist
- Make it yours. Add your own areas (function room, kitchen, upstairs bar) and remove what doesn't apply.
- One sheet per day. Date it, and keep it. A full month of signed sheets says more to an inspector than a policy in a drawer.
- Name the closer on the roster. Whoever closes signs the sheet, so they need to know in advance.
- Read it, don't just tick it. Once a week, look back at the notes column. Repeated "fridge 2 at 7°C" is a repair job, not a log entry.
- Change it with the seasons. Beer garden heaters, outdoor furniture, and the May to September under-15s time all change through the year.
Or run it on a phone
On paper, this checklist works until the sheet gets wet behind the bar. ShiftComplete puts opening and closing checks on a phone or the tablet behind the bar, with different checks by weekday, required or optional photos, and every tick named and timestamped. A 2am close still counts as "today". Fridge readings are logged against each unit's own range and out-of-range ones are flagged on the dashboard. Incidents go in with a photo and severity, and the roster shows who's opening and closing with a day note for any exemption.
It's €1.99 per active staff member per month, free for 60 days with no card and no contract. It helps you keep the records an EHO asks to see; you stay responsible for running the pub within the law.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on a pub closing checklist in Ireland?
At minimum: last orders and drinking-up called by the legal time or your exemption, under-18s out of the bar by the permitted time, fridges checked and food stored, glass washer and equipment off, cash counted and secured, every area checked for people, fire exits checked, alarm set and doors locked. Have the closer initial each line and note anything unusual for the morning.
What time must an Irish pub stop serving?
Citizens Information gives the times for drinking on the premises as 11.30pm Monday to Thursday, 12.30am on Friday and Saturday, and 11pm on Sunday, with opening from 10.30am (12.30pm on Sunday). Only a Special Exemption Order from the District Court allows later service, and 2.30am is the latest. Put tonight's close time on the roster so the closing team knows it.
Does a pub have to display a tips policy in Ireland?
Yes. Under the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022, employers must display their tips policy in the premises and online, covering how electronic tips, cash tips and any service charge are handled. Opening is a good time to check it's still visible, especially after a refit or a new poster going up over it.
Should a pub check fridge temperatures every day?
If you serve food, your HACCP-based food safety system will set out checks, and daily fridge readings are the usual way to show chilled food is held at 5°C or below, as the FSAI advises. Bottle fridges for drinks aren't a food safety control, but any fridge holding food, milk for coffee or garnishes should be on the log.
Sources
- Alcohol and the law: Citizens Information
- Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003, section 14 (under-18s in bars)
- Tips and gratuities: Workplace Relations Commission
- Temperature control for caterers: FSAI
- Labelling: allergens, FSAI
- Safe Hospitality: safety, health and welfare in hotels, restaurants, catering and bars, HSA
- Accident and dangerous occurrence reporting: HSA
- Reporting workplace accidents and dangerous occurrences (information sheet): HSA
- Statutory employment records: Workplace Relations Commission
Checked 28 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.