Each year, John Campbell, his wife and their two young children make a trip to Clonakilty, a tradition that started a couple years back. The highlight of this trip is snapping a picture of John with his little daughter next to a statue of Michael Collins, an integral feature of Clonakilty’s centre. This annual visit provides the family with a visual comparison of the daughter’s growth. Despite their main residence being in Greystones, County Wicklow, they often find themselves drawn back by the charm of the west Cork town, a sentiment shared by Campbell’s father.
The rest of their extended family is also spending the week in town, paying little mind to the national grumbles of a disappointing summer season. Campbell remains unfazed by the occasional drizzles peppering Emmet Square. “We have a raincoat in the car,” he casually mentions. The family has chosen to rent a studio apartment for their stay, a decision that Campbell believes is as cost-efficient as jetting off abroad, considering the cost of air trips and devoid of any associated complications. “The rain could be pouring in Portugal too,” he quips.
However, not everyone shares Campbell’s optimistic outlook on the Irish summer holiday season. Michael Lynagh, an administrator at the Waterford Chamber and a local of Tramore’s beach town, has grown indifferent to weather forecasts, simply because he knows “it’s going to be terrible”. Lynagh suspects that the unimpressive summer weather is causing a slump in local tourism, indicated by the fewer passengers on the Waterford-Tramore bus. Lynagh’s colleague noticed a particularly striking disparity, reporting that only three people were spotted on the beach in Tramore on a summer’s day, ironically a sight more expected in winter.
While Michael Garland, the head of Tramore Amusement and Leisure Park, faced a challenging summer in 2024. A proud Scotsman from St Andrews, Garland has resided in southeast Ireland since 2001 and attributes the dismal weather as a contributing factor to the difficult summer, particularly impacting day-trippers and local visitors. However, he asserts there are additional contributing elements.
Garland declares Ireland to be a rather costly destination. He points out that wages are considerably high, a necessary measure considering the elevated cost of living. He’s heard about the lavish charges and people reining in their spending, which coupled with the local accommodation shortage paves the way for a harsh reality. His perception is that only a small portion of American tourists are venturing to the southeast, as most tend to dwell in Dublin or the Wild Atlantic Way.
Garland acknowledges the beautiful landscapes of the southeast and its rich culinary offerings, but laments that places beyond Dublin and the west coast do not captivate the masses.
The chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, also registers some unease despite observing a decent influx of American tourists. Visitors from the UK and Europe are a concern, potentially not keeping pace with the American visitor numbers.
He says the US travel market is flourishing, but other markets are lagging. He highlights challenging operational costs for tourism and hospitality businesses in Ireland as a key issue, particularly insurance, labour and the VAT rate increment from 9% to 13.5%. O’Mara Walsh advocates for the revival of the 9% VAT rate in the forthcoming budget – a sentiment widely supported, manifested in the form of ‘9%’ stickers and posters sprinkled around Clonakilty.
O’Mara Walsh presents an argument suggesting that in certain regions of the UK, there may be a deficit of tourist lodgings. He maintains that the state has reserved about 10 per cent, or 77,000, of all tourist beds for Ukrainian war refugees. While he recognizes the crucial humanitarian need, he expresses concern over potential downstream commercial effects. He says the lack of bed availability might result in businesses such as eateries and tourist spots receiving less patronage. He cites Co Clare, where a quarter of the tourist beds have been taken off the tourism market, as an example. He remarks, “Guests might visit the Cliffs of Moher, only to head straight back to Dublin or Cork. They don’t stay.”
And then there’s the issue of weather. O’Mara Walsh believes that locals, who often seek out consistently sunny international destinations, might be more affected by rainfall. In contrast, he says international tourists didn’t choose to come to Ireland because of the weather. “They’re always out exploring, regardless of rain or hail,” he adds.
He points to a regular bustling scene in Killarney, Co Kerry, on the last Saturday of July, where he observed a significant number of foreign tourists basking in the sun. In the Muckross House grounds, American tourists were seen playing fetch with their dog, and not far off a group of Canadians were planning their tour of the famous building, even when the costs were higher than predicted but not disproportionate to other holiday spots. One of them commented on how much they were enjoying Ireland, stating “What an incredible country!”
“It’s part and parcel of the experience; the Wild Atlantic Way – you can anticipate some weather. How it moulds the landscape and the people,” declared Michael O’Neill of the Fernhill House Hotel and Gardens.
Tom Randles, a local businessman and hotelier, echoed this sentiment. While observing that Killarney was bustling, he did note it was “less busy than average.”
“The final week of July and first fortnight or so in August are typically the busiest periods and even in Killarney, there are plenty of accommodations available,” observes Mr Randles. Despite the influx of tourists, merchants report less spending. Randles suggests emergency accommodation’s effect has been overestimated while overhead costs such as linens, food and beverages have increased since the price of beer saw a recent hike.
In terms of weather, the monotonous grey skies of the Kingdom are less bothersome compared to rainfall. Randles communicates, “The overcast is not as uncomfortable as you might think. In fact, just yesterday, I was apologising to some tourists about it, but they love it. They hail from places with extreme weathers, wildfires – American tourists in particular are thrilled to play golf or go hiking in this cooler climate.”
Achill Tourism’s representative, Catherine Kilbane, verified that their island in Co Mayo has been attracting plenty of tourists this summer, many of them travelling internationally. She admits, “With pubs and restaurants not as occupied as in the past, finding a table has become easier. We’ve seen a decline in the pub scene, although they do peak earlier in the day, around 5 or 6 pm.”
However, the recently extended Great Western Greenway, outdoor activities, and traditional music programmes are bringing in tourists, she assures. Mirroring the situation in Clonakilty, Michael O’Neill, who helms the Fernhill House Hotel and Gardens opines, “Inclement weather is expected along the Wild Atlantic Way, as it forms the topography and culture prevalent here.”
Despite initial feeling that inflation and a higher VAT rate have strained the hospitality sector, Michael believes that tourist numbers are rebounding.
From the perspective of a visitor, all appears peaceful. At Clonakilty’s weekly Friday market, Freda Gorman and Joan Loghran, who have stopped at La Creperie for a light lunch, contribute to this tranquillity. Gorman, a resident of Trim, Co Meath, runs a dog grooming business, while Loghran, a recently retired audiologist, resides in Newry. They are in Clonakilty to pay a visit to their friend Bernie, who happens to be a local.
Loghran states appreciatively that the town offers various activities, boasts a welcoming climate, and has a relaxed atmosphere. She also adds that they are allowed to bring dogs into cafes there – something they may not be able to do in other towns. Gorman, who is planning for a week-long vacation in Loop Head, Co Clare in August, remarks they had only arrived in Clonakilty a few hours earlier and still found the time to have a swim. She applauds the town’s beautiful and quiet beaches. They intend to visit Lough Hyne the next day, even if the weather is not cooperative, seeing as, as Gorman points out, they can’t just stay indoors given the extended daylight hours, which keeps it bright till 10 in the evening.
Concerning the weather, it doesn’t seem to be as bad as reported. Keith Lambkin, a forecaster at Met Éireann, states emphatically that this summer was not entirely disastrous. He explains that the first half of the summer of 2024 experienced rainfall approximately 30% below the usual level, and temperatures were roughly 1 degree below average. Due to the position of the jet stream, Ireland experienced several rain showers and low-pressure systems, even though there was less rainfall this summer.
According to Met Éireann, the sunshine totals for this season were above the long-term average, with the highest seasonal sunshine recorded at Malin Head, Co Donegal. Yet, compared to the same duration in summer 2023, Lambkin concedes that there was a decrease of about 23% in sunshine.