What the hell has happened to Kilkee?

Dick Pickle

Does the Stella Maris count as a hotel. It has nice lobster

ThorsMane

I work in the holiday home industry and the cost of accommodation in kilkee is ludacris! 60% of the people we deal with are repeat customers... been coming here for 10+ years.,, staying in the same houses... they all shop at ALDI on the way through Kilrush. They’re all self catering and after spending 750-925 euro for a week holiday in rainy Kilkee you can bet they’re pinching the pennies and cooking in their overpriced holiday home.

Twenty new holiday homes have opened up behind the Kilkee bay hotel and they have been more or less heavily booked the entire summer, they’re offering shorter stays, 3 night minimum, which a lot of other holiday homes in town don’t offer. Shorter stays mean less inclined to cook and more incentive to eat out in town ... if you can afford it... 23 Euro for Lasagne on Murphy Blacks new revamped menu! More turn over of clients so new people every few days in town. However people are right when they say it’s all families and they’re isn’t really any kid friendly place to eat in town where you don’t feel like a table full of kids is interrupting people drinking or watching a match in pub/restaurants.

I find a lot of places are thriving though, The Diamond Rocks cafe is packed every single time I’ve gone there this summer, regardless of the day of the week. O’Shea’s Cafe also has a very steady flow of people. Both Nolan’s deli/shop and Nolan’s chipper see huge business, of course the chipper is mostly on weekends but that’s expected. Rosaries has been booming this summer, especially during the hot weather. The pantry, Myles, taste of Punjab, Happy Harbour all doing huge business on the weekends! Nevsail Water sports are out on the beach with kids everyday, rain or shine!

Being in the business I’m not a massive fan of tourists but what really boils my blood is the gangs of limerick teenagers all around town.., saturday night the second 6pm hits they just swarm the streets! Standing in massive intimidating groups... I’ve watched people cross the roads to avoid walking past them and sometimes because they have to...the group is half out on the road as it is. Cars beeping at them. Drinking cans of beer on the pavement. Drinking on the cliff across from the golf course where they’ve left 1000s of cans and take away boxes and bottles. It’s disgusting. I know some people will say Kilkee is alive because of limericks but everyone here can’t stand them, they’re kids are a plague.

Disclaimer: not all limerick people obviously.

Mailcoachinn

ThorsMane wrote: »

I work in the holiday home industry and the cost of accommodation in kilkee is ludacris! 60% of the people we deal with are repeat customers... been coming here for 10+ years.,, staying in the same houses... they all shop at ALDI on the way through Kilrush. They’re all self catering and after spending 750-925 euro for a week holiday in rainy Kilkee you can bet they’re pinching the pennies and cooking in their overpriced holiday home.

Twenty new holiday homes have opened up behind the Kilkee bay hotel and they have been more or less heavily booked the entire summer, they’re offering shorter stays, 3 night minimum, which a lot of other holiday homes in town don’t offer. Shorter stays mean less inclined to cook and more incentive to eat out in town ... if you can afford it... 23 Euro for Lasagne on Murphy Blacks new revamped menu! More turn over of clients so new people every few days in town. However people are right when they say it’s all families and they’re isn’t really any kid friendly place to eat in town where you don’t feel like a table full of kids is interrupting people drinking or watching a match in pub/restaurants.

I find a lot of places are thriving though, The Diamond Rocks cafe is packed every single time I’ve gone there this summer, regardless of the day of the week. O’Shea’s Cafe also has a very steady flow of people. Both Nolan’s deli/shop and Nolan’s chipper see huge business, of course the chipper is mostly on weekends but that’s expected. Rosaries has been booming this summer, especially during the hot weather. The pantry, Myles, taste of Punjab, Happy Harbour all doing huge business on the weekends! Nevsail Water sports are out on the beach with kids everyday, rain or shine!

Being in the business I’m not a massive fan of tourists but what really boils my blood is the gangs of limerick teenagers all around town.., saturday night the second 6pm hits they just swarm the streets! Standing in massive intimidating groups... I’ve watched people cross the roads to avoid walking past them and sometimes because they have to...the group is half out on the road as it is. Cars beeping at them. Drinking cans of beer on the pavement. Drinking on the cliff across from the golf course where they’ve left 1000s of cans and take away boxes and bottles. It’s disgusting. I know some people will say Kilkee is alive because of limericks but everyone here can’t stand them, they’re kids are a plague.

Disclaimer: not all limerick people obviously.

I was once one of the teenagers drinking on the beach, was still doing that in 2012 despite being almost thirty at the time. Most of those kids are sound. They’re not the ones causing trouble.

Happy Harbour??? What were you thinking???

ThorsMane

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

I was once one of the teenagers drinking on the beach, was still doing that in 2012 despite being almost thirty at the time. Most of those kids are sound. They’re not the ones causing trouble.

Happy Harbour??? What were you thinking???

Like I said, not all limerick people.

Mailcoachinn

ThorsMane wrote: »

Like I said, not all limerick people.

That is a disgrace. There are plenty of dustbins by the beach. Okay I threw the ends of Morroccon Woodbines into the Atlantic Ocean, but I always disposed of the empty flagon of Devil’s Bit properly. I have always made a point of doing so

ThorsMane

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

That is a disgrace. There are plenty of dustbins by the beach. Okay I threw the ends of Morroccon Woodbines into the Atlantic Ocean, but I always disposed of the empty flagon of Devil’s Bit properly. I have always made a point of doing so

This is a huge issue for locals, no one likes to see that when they’re walking up George’s Head in the mornings. And I hate to be the “responsible adult” when I’m only 28 myself but if they fall in the water while drinking up there, they’re screwed! Some guy was sleeping in a car up there with his friends after a drinking session two years ago, got out to pee, fell in and was found floating face down in the morning. The town has had enough tragedies on the water the past few years.. adding a few 15/16 year olds to the list would be heartbreaking.

4ensic15

ThorsMane wrote: »

I work in the holiday home industry and the cost of accommodation in kilkee is ludacris! 60% of the people we deal with are repeat customers... been coming here for 10+ years.,, staying in the same houses... they all shop at ALDI on the way through Kilrush. They’re all self catering and after spending 750-925 euro for a week holiday in rainy Kilkee you can bet they’re pinching the pennies and cooking in their overpriced holiday home.

.

Holiday homes in Kilkee compare well in price with holiday homes in other resort towns. They are far more economical than hotels or B&B. a 3 or 4 bedroom unit can be got at about €100 a night even in peak season. The trouble from the point of view of the town is that the spend is low. The owner of the house often lives elsewhere so the rent is not retained in the town, they shop elsewhere and don't eat out or avail much of local restaurants, shops or pubs. The short stay market brings a better spend but it needs a good offering. The holiday homes will be booked months ahead, whereas the short stay is more likely to be an impulse decision and will depend on the weather and what offers are available elsewhere. It is much more volatile and risky for a hotel to target that market. A spell of bad weather and a slew of last-minute offers anywhere in the country can banjax the whole thing.

ThorsMane

4ensic15 wrote: »

Holiday homes in Kilkee compare well in price with holiday homes in other resort towns. They are far more economical than hotels or B&B. a 3 or 4 bedroom unit can be got at about €100 a night even in peak season. The trouble from the point of view of the town is that the spend is low. The owner of the house often lives elsewhere so the rent is not retained in the town, they shop elsewhere and don't eat out or avail much of local restaurants, shops or pubs. The short stay market brings a better spend but it needs a good offering. The holiday homes will be booked months ahead, whereas the short stay is more likely to be an impulse decision and will depend on the weather and what offers are available elsewhere. It is much more volatile and risky for a hotel to target that market. A spell of bad weather and a slew of last-minute offers anywhere in the country can banjax the whole thing.

True, things are booked months even a year in advance, which to me shows that people love to come back here regardless but I have to say tidy towns have done a great deal of work on the town this summer.. in keeping it looking well, lots of new planters and painting of empty old houses was done in an effort to keep the place looking neat and colourful. They can only do so much though

4ensic15

ThorsMane wrote: »

True, things are booked months even a year in advance, which to me shows that people love to come back here regardless but I have to say tidy towns have done a great deal of work on the town this summer.. in keeping it looking well, lots of new planters and painting of empty old houses was done in an effort to keep the place looking neat and colourful. They can only do so much though

People love to come back, but they are self-caterers and as such don't spend a lot. The mini-break hotel scene is where the money is and Kilkee has poor offerings in that regard.

Sal Butamol

ThorsMane wrote: »

Like I said, not all limerick people.

That photo is disgraceful.

Has the Council removed those cans? If I was down in Kilkee I'd get a few black bags and clean it myself. Disgusting to see

ThorsMane

Sal Butamol wrote: »

That photo is disgraceful.

Has the Council removed those cans? If I was down in Kilkee I'd get a few black bags and clean it myself. Disgusting to see

It was removed after this photo was taken... but it builds back up every weekend

ThorsMane

4ensic15 wrote: »

People love to come back, but they are self-caterers and as such don't spend a lot. The mini-break hotel scene is where the money is and Kilkee has poor offerings in that regard.

True, the Kilkee Bay hotel is opening up next year, and Kincora is apparently reopening under new management, so that’ll be a b&b, the bay view also received hotel status this year and the Stella Maris is still operating as a hotel though I don’t know how well the bookings are going there. It’s so family orientated that self catering seems like the best option for them.

Things seem to be improving, that’s all I can say.. from being here everyday I see lots of improvements to last year.. the town is far from dead

4ensic15

ThorsMane wrote: »

True, the Kilkee Bay hotel is opening up next year, and Kincora is apparently reopening under new management, so that’ll be a b&b, the bay view also received hotel status this year and the Stella Maris is still operating as a hotel though I don’t know how well the bookings are going there. It’s so family orientated that self catering seems like the best option for them.

Things seem to be improving, that’s all I can say.. from being here everyday I see lots of improvements to last year.. the town is far from dead

None of those places is of anything like the calibre which would be needed to attract some spending visitors. Most are two-star standard, bedrooms with pub grub. Westport, for example, has a number of fine hotels of a far higher standard. People will book a few days there, partly because they like the hotels.

ThorsMane

4ensic15 wrote: »

None of those places is of anything like the calibre which would be needed to attract some spending visitors. Most are two-star standard, bedrooms with pub grub. Westport, for example, has a number of fine hotels of a far higher standard. People will book a few days there, partly because they like the hotels.

Beyond a fine hotel what would actually be here for people like that? Maybe some golfing. That’s about it. It’s a relaxed beachy vibe here... 4/5 star hotels would be so out of place I think.

4ensic15

ThorsMane wrote: »

Beyond a fine hotel what would actually be here for people like that? Maybe some golfing. That’s about it. It’s a relaxed beachy vibe here... 4/5 star hotels would be so out of place I think.

People seeking a good hotel with good food and the possibility of golf or hill walking or sea bathing or sightseeing. More low budget hotels will only go the way of their predecessors. More self-catering accommodation will be occupied by non-spenders. That is why the business in the town has shrunk to a few coffee shops and a few mini markets.

Mailcoachinn

Anybody have any word on what happened in Kilkee yesterday?

Dick Pickle

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Anybody have any word on what happened in Kilkee yesterday?

Give us a clue?

Mailcoachinn

Dick Pickle wrote: »

Give us a clue?

All I heard was a woman being held captive in a disused building on the Carrigaholt Road & a man still missing. They were separate stories but related apparently

ThorsMane

Dick Pickle wrote: »

Give us a clue?

Local drama 🙄

ThorsMane

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

All I heard was a woman being held captive in a disused building on the Carrigaholt Road & a man still missing. They were separate stories but related apparently

Very related, husband is the missing man (though I think he’s been found), recently separated wife was the captive... for 3 days

Gael85

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Anybody have any word on what happened in Kilkee yesterday?

Not a word about it in news today. Very strange

Mailcoachinn

Gael85 wrote: »

Not a word about it in news today. Very strange

It was on Clare FM earlier today

Gael85

ThorsMane wrote: »

Very related, husband is the missing man (though I think he’s been found), recently separated wife was the captive... for 3 days

Does he own a chipper/shop in Kilkee?

Mailcoachinn

Gael85 wrote: »

Does he own a chipper/shop in Kilkee?

Yes, that’s them

JCX BXC

Off to the pub with ye.

Mailcoachinn

JCX BXC wrote: »

Off to the pub with ye.

Join us sure... 😂😂😂

JCX BXC

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Join us sure... 😂😂😂

Just for the one

Mikefitzs

In all fairness Clare people avoid the place, it's a kip. It's overrun by drug lords from a neighbouring county all summer. No problem getting a sniff of coke or a score.

Mailcoachinn

Mikefitzs wrote: »

In all fairness Clare people avoid the place, it's a kip. It's overrun by drug lords from a neighbouring county all summer. No problem getting a sniff of coke or a score.

That’s one thing that I should have noticed before but has only become obvious to me fairly recently. I have never actually met anyone from the likes of Ennis or Shannon in Kilkee, come to think of it. Nor does anyone I know from either one ever go there.

JCX BXC

Jaysus I know a few Ennis people who go to Kilkee. Number is smaller than the proportion of Limericks but there is a few.

In relation to drugs, well you have Kilrush down the road and half the population of Limerick there in the summer so it's hardly shocking that drugs are fairly easy to come by.