Cover Image: O'Connell Street Ennis Co Clare this week. Picture : Eamon Ward
a walk through Ennis on any weekday afternoon shows the bustle is back, despite a hard year gone by.
Lively bars, busy cafes and a strong footfall across the townâs many well-loved boutiques are all promising signs that the town's economy is starting the healing process.
But the monumental work done to keep businesses afloat over the last year, both at a local and national level, could be undone in a matter of months if Government supports are pulled in the coming budget.
This is the message from a number of business owners, who are calling for stability after so many months of crisis.
Darragh McAlister, President Ennis Chamber of Commerce pictured in Ennis, Co Clare this week. Picture : Eamon Ward
Darragh McAllister runs Lucasâ Bar and Considineâs Bar and is sitting President of the Ennis Chamber.
Mr McAllister said the last 18 months have been hard on the town, and, âlike any other traumaâ, it will be some time before people know for sure that they are on the way to recovery.
He added that while not all businesses felt the brunt of the lockdowns evenly, that it would be âunwise to try to cherry-pick industriesâ for support.
âRather, the economy as a whole needs to be treated like a damaged ecosystem that needs to be helped from all sides,â Mr McAllister said.Â
He added that the "rebound" has had a mixed effect throughout the economy; it will take time for that imbalance to settle.Â
âIt's unlikely we'll see whatever the new normal is inside the next 12 months,â Mr McAllister said.
Mr McAllisterâs own sector, the hospitality industry, has been one of the hardest-hit, and the bar owner has called for a steady hand from the Government when it comes to the supports given so far.
âJust because Covid âgoes awayâ doesn't necessarily mean the support measures it brought with it should also stop. It will be some time before we can rely on the predictability of the market and, until then, itâs essential that Government supports business directly so as to ensure to avoid commercial collateral damage,â Mr McAllister said.Â
âIf all supports for business stopped dead before we can read the lay of the land, it would have detrimental consequences and given the enormity of our borrowing so far it would be foolish to risk billions for the sake of a few million,â he added.
Allen Flynn - the Old Ground Hotel
the hospitality industry has undoubtedly been the hardest hit sector of the Covid-19 pandemic, in terms of closures and restrictions: first to close and last to reopen.Â
And for Allen Flynn, who, through the Flynn Group, owns and runs the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, the last year has been a ârollercoaster.âÂ
Mr Flynn, who along with the group, owns the Imperial Hotel in Cork City, the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny, and the Park Hotel in Dungarvan, allowing him a true insight into the problems that the industry is facing.Â
âWe have certainly seen loads that we have never seen before, in almost 40 years of business, similar to many other industries in Ireland,â Mr Flynn said.Â
âWe've had to stay closed 11 out of the last 17 months. So we've had a pretty rocky time. But we reopened on the first of June, and each of our four properties has bounced back,â he added.
This has been helped, Mr Flynn says, by the very positive staycation market, for which they are incredibly grateful.Â
Mr Flynn says the Government supports, which have been in place up until now, have been extremely helpful but believes that they need to continue, for the time being.
Allen Flynn at the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare. Picture Dan Linehan
âFrom an industry point of view, a continuation of the support that had been there up to now is needed. I would love to see the wage subsidy scheme going right through, until the end of the first quarter, maybe April or May of next year,â Mr Flynn said.Â
âAnd that's not just a matter of helping people out, itâs to help businesses survive. We've had an extremely difficult period. And the wage subsidy has certainly helped. With the winter months coming up now, just knowing that it's going to be there until next year would be a great driver for ourselves,â he added.
Mr Flynn said he would also like to see a continuation of the Covid Relief Support Scheme until April of next year, in order to help sustain the number of jobs within the industry.
âThe lower VAT rate, which was introduced, I would like to keep that going into next year until probably the end of next year, in order to become more competitive in terms of what we do. Because we're going to be fighting with other European countries for tourism and that would be very supportive of the hospitality industry,â Mr Flynn added.
Mr Flynn believes that if these points can be achieved in the coming budget, it would go a long way to easing minds in a sector that fears not only the possibility of more lockdowns but also the financial instability that may follow.
Frank Landy, owner of Sweet nâ Green
For Frank Landy, owner of the Sweet nâ Green restaurant in Ennis, the last year has been a turbulent one.Â
Repeated lockdowns and subsequent closures have meant Mr Landy has had to improvise in order to survive.Â
The business, he explains, has been open three years, with a strong 18 months prior to Covid. However, when the pandemic hit it all âwent arse above tit, really,â Mr Landy said.
However, the owner was quick to praise the community support. He said this, alongside the staffâs work ethic and government assistance, has been the saving grace that kept them afloat.Â
âWe had to kind of redevelop our product. That was the hardest work,â Mr Landy said, noting that they added a deli, more takeaway options and brought forward their online presence.Â
âOnce you go into survival mode, and a lot of business owners will tell you the same, there is no backing out. You stay going; you do what you have to do to survive,â he added.
Mr Landy also paid tribute to his loyal and dedicated staff, who kept working at the cafe, even when they could have earned more going on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP).
âIt showed the work ethic of those people and I am so proud of them. They didnât want to see Sweet nâ Green fail either.â
Frank Landy at Sweet n Green café, at the Friary car park, Ennis, Co Clare. Picture Dan Linehan
He said that the work the Government did was crucial, but if stopped too early, it will all be for nothing.
âI'm very proud of how the Government set up,â he said.Â
Grants were made available for outdoor dining, outdoor seating and other initiatives.
âIf it wasnât for the wage subsidy, I wouldnât be talking to you right now. My front door wouldn't be open. It allowed me to keep the cash flow moving, and most importantly, keep the wages paid,â Mr Landy said.Â
He added that this help, along with the reduced VAT rate âhas to stayâ and called on the government to find other ways to recouping money spent over the pandemic.Â
âAll we need is cash flow. If we can keep the wheels greased until March or April, the Government will have done what it has to,â Mr Landy added.
Jean McCabe - Willow Boutique
Known as the boutique capital of Ireland, Ennis prides itself on the large number of independent quality fashion retailers spread across the town.
One such outlet is Willow Boutique, located on OâConnell Street and run by Jean McCabe.
The shop continues to attract an impressive number of customers, following the recent struggles brought about by Covid, but Ms McCabe admitted that although the bustle is back, the past 12 months have been difficult.
âThe last year obviously, like everyone, has been challenging with the stop-start nature of it all,â said Ms McCabe, who is also Vice-Chair of Retail Excellence.
The store has been open and operating for 17 years, Ms McCabe said, meaning it has seen a variety of changes over the years.
One of these has been the growing importance in having an online presence.Â
âWe were lucky we were trading online all through the lockdown. And we had the team in for the whole period, really, which allowed us to connect with them. It was good from an online perspective, definitely, but there's nothing like getting your doors open again to welcome customers back in,â Ms McCabe explained.
Jean McCabe at Willow, O'Connell Street, Ennis, Co Clare. Picture Dan Linehan
The boutique owner said she is in the dark about what to expect from the budget, but she said Government has to continue to support small businesses, such as her own, to survive - and thrive - after an exhausting and challenging 18 months.
âI would like to see more of an incentive there to bring small businesses online. The current enterprise Ireland trading online voucher excludes businesses that don't have 10 full-time employees, which would be a lot of the SMEs around the country,â Ms McCabe said.
âSo I think to see a scheme that includes those SMEs and get to bring them online is really really important,â she added.
This incentive would help draw consumers back into the Irish market, she believes.Â
âJust think about the Irish consumer. We're one of the largest online shoppers in the world. We're spending âŹ14bn a year abroad in other stores, which means there's an untapped market here in Ireland that we aren't servicing,â Ms McCabe said.Â
âSo I think the government needs to recognise that and ensure that small businesses dotted around every small town and village around the country can get to go online and they're able to trade well online. Weâd all like to shop locally if we have the option, so we just need to service that market,â she added.
O'Connell Square, Ennis Co Clare this week. Picture : Eamon Ward
Irish Examiner Longread
Copyright Irish Examiner
If you enjoyed this immersive read, you may also like these
