Ryder Cup success and Ploughing Championship underpins 10% rise in spending

The European team's success in the historic Ryder Cup tournament coincided with a 10% increase in spending at gold clubs and courses year-on-year, AIB has found

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025 - 00:05

Emer Walsh

September had the biggest selling days of the year for tourism and exhibits, new data from AIB has sound, with the National Ploughing Championships and the Irish Open brining a boost to spending.

The latest spend trend data from AIB show ticket sales for the Ploughing were led by customers from Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Limerick and Offaly for the annual event that is the largest of its kind in the world.

Last month also marked a significant period for golf fans, the lender said, with Rory McIlroy winning the Irish Open at the K Club at the start of September, before going on to join Shane Lowry and the rest of Team Europe and the Ryder Cup in New York.

The European team's success in the historic tournament coincided with a 10% increase in spending at gold clubs and courses year-on-year, AIB found.

Overall, card spending increased by 10% on an annual basis in September 2025, while spending on groceries increased by 3%, with the average transaction size being €24.57.

Spend on entertainment increased 18% in the 12 months to September 2025, AIB found, which also reflected a 7% rise month-on-month. The lender also noted a significant increase in ticket sales, up 45% annually.

Ticket spending

The highest spending day of the year so far for ticket transactions was September 3, when tickets went on sale for Electric Picnic 2026. Tickets for The Weeknd’s two gigs in Croke Park also went on sale in September the lender added.

Meanwhile, spend in cinemas increased by 19% annually, with the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, One Battle After Another and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale boosting demand.

As the summer season came to a close, hospitality expenditure decreased, with spending on hotels falling by 22% in the month. Spending in pubs also fell by 26% in the month, and 17% year-on-year.

However, spending in restaurants was up 6% over 12 months, despite a 14% fall compared to the previous month.

The biggest decreases were in Kerry, which saw a 20% decrease, followed by Wexford and Donegal where demand dropped by 19%.

It was a good month for spend on digital games, which increased by 25% annually, AIB said, adding that 77% of this spending was by men. In addition, people aged between 25 and 34 accounted for 29% of all gaming spend.

Electronic spending also increased by 20%, likely driven by back to school and college spend, while expenditure on clothing fell 6% in the month.

“September is a busy month as people return from holidays and have that back to school feeling, " said Adrian Moynihan, Head of Consumer at AIB.

"The significant increase in ticket sales, up 45% in the year, demonstrates the appetite among people in Ireland for music and culture, with sales for Electric Picnic leading to the highest ticket spending day of the year so far."