How Ireland’s tourist trap towns keep their buzz and business outside of the summer season

Long before the establishment of the Wild Atlantic Way in 2014, tourism honeypots such as Westport and Kinsale were developing their unique brands as must-visit destinations, and not only for the summer season. Obviously their resplendent land and seascapes are elemental to their success, as is Westport’s prettiness, with its planned streets and tree-lined mall along the canalised river, and the contrasting quirkiness and colourscapes of Kinsale’s higgledy-piggledy streets and dramatic history.

However, keeping the shutters up and the lights on over the low season for tourism providers is a more complex and nuanced dance, and that is without even mentioning staff shortages through emigration and the potential fallout from Donald Trump’s tariffs.

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Hotelier Darren Madden explains: “Once the high season is over, active age groups arrive on the train from Sundays to Thursdays throughout the winter and absolutely provide the backbone of business for the larger hotels. These hotels offer a great schedule of activities from bridge and boules, bingo and set-dancing.”

While Madden says this is certainly essential business, the profile of customers at the smaller Clew Bay Hotel, which he runs with his wife, Maria Ruddy, is somewhat different.