Tourist town needs more than leprechauns

RECENTLY I have become aware of a trend in Killarney that, for me at least, rings warning bells about its future as a destination for the discerning tourist.

Has anyone else noticed how many small, distinctive retailers have closed their doors in recent weeks?

Now I don’t profess to be a David McWilliams, and I don’t have any formal education in economics or town planning, but it strikes me that globalisation must have a part to play in this because, while these small retailers are forced to close their doors and lay off staff, some of the larger retailers are thriving and now occupy more retail space than ever in the town.

The other worrying fact is that, increasingly, they are cramming much of that space with ‘tourist tack’ such as singing leprechauns and cheaply manufactured ‘Oirish’ mementoes, often produced in low-cost Asian economies such as China and Taiwan.

Surely experience should have taught us by now that it is diversity which attracts tourists to one town over another. Therefore the scaling down of small, diverse retailers will in time have the effect of making Killarney indistinguishable from other towns.

To that end, perhaps we should look to our friends and planners over the mountains in Kenmare to see how they have managed to distinguish their corner of the world through attracting a varied and interesting array of shops and artisan producers.

Or it already too late?

Miriam O’Sullivan Long

‘Ceann Scríbe’

Coolick

Kilcummin

Killarney

Co Kerry