A law dating back to the '50s which prevented people from bringing pets into a public establishment, such as a restaurant or pub, has now been officially repealed.

Paragraph 22 of Regulation 25 of the Food Hygiene Regulations 1950 has now been revoked, and brings Ireland in line with EU regulations on pets in food-serving locations - provided these locations are able to ensure that dogs, cats and so on are unable to access areas where food is stored, prepared or handled.

Previously, the law only allowed access for guide dogs, assistance dogs, companion dogs or dogs in training to become any of these.

However, while it still remains at the discretion of the owner or landlord to allow pets onto the property, it now paves the way to allow pet-friendly restaurants in Dublin and across Ireland. Already, a number of pubs have taken to the law. One bar in particular, Adelphi on Middle Abbey St., made headlines when it announced it was serving free beer to dogs as part of a promotional campaign.

In a statement released to media, Dogs Trust Ireland said that it is "optimistic that this progressive step will be instrumental in helping Ireland to become more Dog Friendly."