British pub group JD Wetherspoon is to boost its Irish-based staff numbers by nearly 600 people as it opens three more bars here over the next 12 months or so.
The group already employs around 500 people across its five pubs in the Republic; four of which are located in Dublin, with the other in Cork.
The group continues to look for new sites in Ireland and is due to open three more pubs between now and early 2020.
They will employ a further 570 people, in a mix of full-time and part-time roles.
All of the new jobs will be with Wetherspoon directly and do not relate to the construction of any of the new pubs.
Wetherspoon's first pub in Carlow, where it is investing €3m on redeveloping the old Trader's Bar on Tullow Street in the town centre, will be open by May. That month will also see the opening of Wetherspoon's first city centre pub in Dublin; in the form of The Silver Penny on Abbey Street.
The group's planned flagship venture for Dublin city centre - a €20m super-pub/hotel on Camden Street, set to be its largest single site investment ever - will see work commence in May before expected formal opening in early 2020.
The pub owner also has a site, with planning permission, in Waterford awaiting development.
Wetherspoon said its Irish operations have continued to perform well, but in its latest trading update, said first half group pre-tax profit - for the six months to the end of January - is likely to be lower than the same period last year.
That has been blamed on rising costs - particularly labour costs, which jumped £30m (€34m) in the first half.
Like-for-like sales, in the first half, rose 6.3%, with total sales ahead by 7.2%.
Despite his desire to grow the business in Ireland, Wetherspoon's chairman Tim Martin maintained his pro-Brexit stance, in the latest trading update, supporting a no-deal outcome.
"The most frequently asked question, regarding the future, relates to the impact of leaving the EU. I have argued that the UK - and, therefore, Wetherspoon - will benefit from a free-trade approach, by avoiding a 'deal' which involves the payment of £39bn to the EU," he said.
