Bombsite pub forced to ditch Irish Car Bomb ad

A UK pub situated near the sites of two 1970s bombings has been forced to cover its banner advertising Irish Car Bomb cocktails.

The Irish Car Bomb cocktail is made from a shot of Baileys and Jameson Irish Whiskey dropped into half a pint of Guinness

Staff at the Brass Pig pub on The Triangle in Bristol put up the banner in order to promote the drink – made by adding Baileys and Jameson Irish Whiskey to a shot glass and dropping it into a half-pint of Guinness – in the lead up to St Patrick’s Day.

However, the establishment came under fire for its choice of advertising due to its location, which is just half a mile from Park Street which was bombed on 18 December 1974, in which 20 people were injured.

Additionally, a second bombing took place approximately half a mile in the opposite direction at Maggs Department Store in Clifton on 17 December 1978 injuring 18 people.

The attack was part of a co-ordinated Provisional IRA attack which saw bombs detonated all over England in Bristol, Coventry, Liverpool, Manchester and Southampton.

Author Maurice Fells told the BBC the marketing people behind the banner had been “clueless”.

“People were hurt – thankfully people were not killed but to play on this is ridiculous,” he said. “As a marketing ploy it’s unbelievable that anyone would have thought of it… people have strong memories in Bristol and the West Country.”

Pub officials have admitted the advert was “wrong” and explained that as soon as managers saw it the banner was taped over.

Claire Deeley, marketing spokeswoman for the Brass Pig, said the banner had been put up by staff who thought they were being “enterprising”.