Cryptic crossword clue
Irish pubs feeling incomplete without barmaid 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SHEBEENS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
H
E
B
E
E
N
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Irish pubs" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case irish pubs = shebeens.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does SHEBEENS mean?

SHEBEENS noun
  1. An unlicensed drinking establishment, especially in Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa.

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