Where the streets have no gain
REVENUE is down, staff numbers reduced and, now, a tourism provider is cutting the cost of the pint.
The near deserted, sprawling village street in Glengarriff at the gateway to the Beara peninsula has forced a local business to adopt desperate measures.
John and Joan O’Sullivan, who run the Hawthorn Bar and Rainbow Restaurant, disclosed that income this summer season has halved.
“We’ve been in business for the last 10 years,” said Mr O’Sullivan, “but, this year, we reckon we’re down by 50% compared to 2004. The Americans and English aren’t here - quite amazing when we consider the buying power of sterling compared to the euro.
“As for the home market visitors, foreign holiday are for a pittance so they are going away,” he said.”
The couple said their situation was indicative of a worrying fall-off in tourism throughout the West Cork peninsula, resulting in a significant drop in much-needed seasonal jobs.
Their cuisine is very reasonably priced, especially in what has been dubbed ‘rip-off Ireland’ - but that’s not much of a catch if the tourists simply aren’t there.
To entice customers, Mr O’Sullivan is offering certain pints of beer for as little as e3.
It’s got that bad that he’s prepared to take a hit on some items to keep the ship from sinking.
His wife didn’t simply lay the blame on September 11 and the euro changeover, as her husband part claimed, but on exorbitant overheads in this country and the failure of Fáilte Ireland to market regions equally.
“The bigger cities are getting everything. We depend on tourism for a couple of months of the year. People are being laid off in the industry,” she said.
“Kerry is gaining at our expense. They have a better infrastructure and much better marketing. Simply putting on music for tourists is costing us more in royalties than it’s worth.”
Her husband pointed out their commercial rates levy topped €5,000.
In a good season - one which has sadly faded into memory - they would have employed 15 but that number has been significantly cut this year.
Glengarriff is renowned for its picturesque setting in Bantry Bay, with Garnish Island, in the inner harbour, but the top tourist spot has no ATM.
“I’m sick and tired lobbying for one. I’ve been canvassing for the last two years, but the banks don’t seem to be interested,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“It’s getting to be too much hassle. I have to admit I would contemplate selling out if this keeps up.”
Ironically, banker Martin Bullford from Bournemouth, visiting Glengarriff with friends, couldn’t find an ATM. When told there wasn’t one, he was aghast.
“It’s a lovely spot. We were going to go over to Garnish but most of us have run out of cash. We’ll probably have to go to Kenmare now for a machine. In this day and age I can’t believe it,” he said.
French couple Giscard and Yves Bissoult were equally perplexed. “This is my first time in Ireland. A friend recommended West Cork. We were in Kerry earlier and they have, how would you say, better facilities for tourists,” Mr Bissoult said.
In the heart of the peninsula, in Castletownbere, the situation is slightly better.
John Murphy, who owns a restaurant in the town centre, wasn’t painting as bleak a picture but, nevertheless, he estimated revenue from the town’s tourist industry was probably down 20% on last season.
Mr Murphy is also chairman of Beara Tourism Development. He knows more than most the way business, in every sector from pubs to B&Bs, is going in the region.
“The first sign in a downturn came as far back as 2002. Everybody is going abroad now. Short breaks into Dublin are popular, but these people are not filtering into the regions,” Mr Murphy said.
He believes Ireland is becoming uncompetitive in the tourism stakes - the 13.5% VAT on meals, spiralling insurance and public liability rates force businesses to hike up costs to the consumer.
“In real terms, the tourist season has shrunk to basically July and August,” said Mr Murphy.
Unlike a number of other similar businesses in the Cork region he wouldn’t like to see a split from Cork-Kerry Tourism.
“Actually, it would be a benefit to us, because we are strategically placed. I would be slow to cut that umbilical cord. We have to be fair and I don’t begrudge them, but Kerry stole a march on its neighbours in Cork. They have good infrastructure and have been working on tourism for years. More luck to them,” Mr Murphy said.
He believes a major concerted effort was needed in West Cork and confirmed that increasing numbers of B&Bs are going out of business in the area each year.
“The whitefish industry was the life and soul of the peninsula for generations but that industry, now facing huge setbacks, could become less and less important. I think the hunger is there in Castletownbere to do something about generating more tourism. In some respects, it is still a fledgling industry in this part of West Cork - we have got to go out now and push fast for it,” he added.
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