Continued decline a sign of the times?

An article in today's Chicago Tribune stuck out to me. In the past three years over 1000 pubs have closed in rural Ireland. It seems somewhat ironic that one of the elements stereotypically associated with Irish culture, the pub, is seemingly endangered. Notice the emphasis on closings is in rural Ireland. Urban pubs cater to a different audience and it's the local pub that has been central to communal culture in Ireland. That's what makes this revelation such a shock to Irish culture. While pub culture probably will never completely subside, much like native Gaelic-speakers, part of the charm and ambiance associated with what it means to be Irish looks to be another victim of an ever-changing world. Of course, these issues are nothing new, what with the Celtic Tiger economy in the late 90s and early 00s. But it's interesting to see that as the bubble of the Celtic Tiger begins to burst in Ireland there are corollary effects on popular culture.