The chairman of the anti-smoking group Ash has described the smoking ban as the "health initiative of the century".
Speaking on the one-year anniversary of the ban, Prof Luke Clancy also said: "As expected, the scaremongering predictions, such as the projected loss of 60,000 jobs, have not materialised."
"Neither have vast numbers of public houses closed - in fact the selling price of these establishments continues to increase," he said.
"The general support for this health initiative is extremely high and has increased further since its introduction, even among smokers."
However some pub owners and drinks firms blame the ban for a drop in sales; bar revenues fell 6.3 per cent in the first nine months of 2004. Cigarette sales dropped about 18 per cent last year compared to a 10 per cent fall in 2003.
According to the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI), which represents over 6,000 rural publicans, drinks sales are down, jobs have been lost and pubs have closed as a result of the smoking ban.
Commenting on the situation, Seamus O'Donoghue, President, VFI said that: "We recognise that the smoking ban is here and is here to stay. However we firmly believe that there is room for compromise. Although this ban isn't just about pubs, it is rural pubs that have been worst affected.
He added that nationwide turnover in pubs is down on average between 20-30 per cent.
"In County Clare alone, 26 pubs have closed in the last 12 months. An estimated 170 licences have been lost in Cork City and County.
"Many rural publicans now choose not to open until the evening time, cutting off a vital social link for many customers living in isolated areas," said Mr O'Donoghue.
But others say the decline of the Irish pub has more to do with high prices and lifestyle changes than the smoking ban.
"One year on, there's no doubt that sales have been hit by the ban, but prices are the bigger issue," said Bettina MacCarvill, associate director of market research group Millward Brown IMS.
"Many people are opting to spend more on their leisure time at home or in the homes of friends and family, rather than pricey nights out in bars and restaurants," she added.
Over one in five smokers who called a national stop smoking helpline last year managed to quit, it was claimed today.
The Irish Cancer Society said that 7,000 of the 19,800 who contacted the National Smokers Quitline between October 2003 and March 2004 had attempted to kick the habit.
But 4,350 (22 per cent) of the total had still not had a cigarette up to last month when an evaluation was carried out.
Ash estimates that tobacco kills six times as many people in Ireland as road accidents, work accidents, drugs, murder, suicide and Aids combined.