A nursing home in Ireland found a unique way to keep its elderly patients in a cheery mood -- by providing its own pub.

St Mary's Hospital in County Monaghan, near the Irish border with Northern Ireland, believes easy access to a pint may help its patients live longer.

"We would say the whole social aspect of life does extend the years -- it means the patients aren't bored to death," Rose Mooney, assistant director of nursing tells Reuters

The pub, which opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. and charges normal bar prices, has helped increase the number of visitors.

Mooney adds, having its own bar makes the hospital, which houses about 140 patients, unique in Ireland.