What the hell has happened to Kilkee?

Sal Butamol

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Are crowds of people coming to Kilkee for New Year’s Eve still a thing? I used to do that every year, the whole town would be well buzzing. Haven’t done it in the best part of about 10 years now so I wouldn’t know if it still happens or not. Does it?

Hickies last year New Year's Eve

JCX BXC

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Are crowds of people coming to Kilkee for New Year’s Eve still a thing? I used to do that every year, the whole town would be well buzzing. Haven’t done it in the best part of about 10 years now so I wouldn’t know if it still happens or not. Does it?

Halloween, Christmas and Easter attract some, especially families, but the night life will be nothing compared to summer. It'll be mainly an older crowd (35+)

Mailcoachinn

Sal Butamol wrote: »

Hickies last year New Year's Eve

Excuse me Mary. May I please have my cigarettes???

Mailcoachinn

Just back from another weekend in Kilkee. I totally agree with whoever said that it’s not anything like what it once was. Where did it all go wrong was what I was thinking to myself while walking around the place.

I have some great memories of time spent in Kilkee from the late 80’s until a couple of years back. I really hate to say this but the town is dying on its ar5e.

I can’t see a positive outlook for Kilkee in the long run. Any young people that I know living there and who have any aspirations at all to be somebody or make something of themselves in live (by that I mean get involved in something other than drawing the dole and doing drugs) can’t wait to get out of there.

The rest of them, for the lack of a better term, could only be described as a collective waste of space. Thick eejits, 3rd & 4th generation unemployed, possibly inbred, no desire to better themselves in any way and will never amount to anything. The highlight of their week appears to be going out on a Saturday night purely in order to cause trouble. Throwing half full bottles in crowds trying to start a fight so they can prove to each other that they’re such big men. Seriously what sad pathetic losers.

Yes, the place really has gone to the dogs. If it wasn’t for the pollock holes and the views I would seriously consider never going back there again

ABEasy

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Just back from another weekend in Kilkee. I totally agree with whoever said that it’s not anything like what it once was. Where did it all go wrong was what I was thinking to myself while walking around the place.

I have some great memories of time spent in Kilkee from the late 80’s until a couple of years back. I really hate to say this but the town is dying on its ar5e.

I can’t see a positive outlook for Kilkee in the long run. Any young people that I know living there and who have any aspirations at all to be somebody or make something of themselves in live (by that I mean get involved in something other than drawing the dole and doing drugs) can’t wait to get out of there.

The rest of them, for the lack of a better term, could only be described as a collective waste of space. Thick eejits, 3rd & 4th generation unemployed, possibly inbred, no desire to better themselves in any way and will never amount to anything. The highlight of their week appears to be going out on a Saturday night purely in order to cause trouble. Throwing half full bottles in crowds trying to start a fight so they can prove to each other that they’re such big men. Seriously what sad pathetic losers.

Yes, the place really has gone to the dogs. If it wasn’t for the pollock holes and the views I would seriously consider never going back there again

Apart from the local rif raf, what made you feel its dying? Just curious!

Mailcoachinn

ABEasy wrote: »

Apart from the local rif raf, what made you feel its dying? Just curious!

They seem more prominent than ever before. Why would I go to any town where most of the local people are like that?

ABEasy

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

They seem more prominent than ever before. Why would I go to any town where most of the local people are like that?

Can't disagree with that!

Shapey Fiend

I went to Kilkee day tripping quite a bit this summer because purely as a beach I think it's more attractive than, say, Lahinch.

Even if the hotel situation is lackluster there are a ton of BnB/Airbnb options which I think tourists are increasingly gravitating towards.

The golf club do a really nice lunch, and there are beautiful views from the outdoor seating area. The restaurant by the pollock holes isn't as good but has similarly pretty views.

There's a good swimming pool and I did a course at the scuba diving school a few years back everybody there was really sound.

We're moving into an era that's less about sinking pints in dark rooms and more about food, coffee and entertainment. It'll take a while for the town to adapt properly. The likes of Lahinch were fast tracked because of surfing culture bringing in a lot of young people. I can see the main street recovering further in the next few summers.

Arcades are going through a bit of a revival in Dublin and Cork at the moment. The existing ones could probably do a good business if they tweaked their approach. Chuck some retro arcade and pinball machines in, serve beer and pizza. Maybe karaoke booths? Small kids are generally pretty facinated by mechanical games, whack a mole etc. because they're an experience you won't get on a touchscreen.

Cheap rents can be a problem or a bonus. If Kilkee make themselves a culturally attractive spot for young people then they'll flock there and bring lots of positive energy to the place.

4ensic15

I was in Kilkee in August and there was no lunch available in the Golf Club. The only places i found lunches available were Myles, Bayview and Stella Maris. myles was basic and obviously a re-heat. The proprietress of the Bayview was despicable and I couldn't enjoy what was in fact reasonable food. The Stella Maris was also quite good.

Palmach

Sal Butamol wrote: »

In what way?

In the 1980s there was one restaurant in Kilkee and no coffee shop except for the mausoleum that was the Victoria Dining Room. Now there are several. The town was grey and drab. Now things are bright and painted. There are flower boxes around. The library is now a really busy culture centre instead of draughty dingy dive it was. There is a dive centre, water sports activities and classes. None of which were there in the 80s. Believe me I was there for the whole of that decade. You have a new square at the centre of the town. Washing taps on the beech. A new exercise route along the beech along the way. Three hotels now open and fourth to come. It is a far far better place now than it was 30 years ago.

4ensic15 wrote: »

What a joke. I saw a "Vacancies" sign in a window in the 2nd week of August. .

Really. I doubt it. More liike they forgot to take it down.

Mikefitzs wrote: »

The last time I visited the beach at Kilkee was about 10 years ago.

So you have made up stuff about Kilkee because you haven't been there in 10 years. Why are you even on a thread about contemporary Kilkee.?

Mikefitzs wrote: »

As for hotels, they need business all year round to survive, 2 busy months won't pay the bills for the other 10 they lie empty..

Are you in the Hotel business? Hotels do stay opne for 12 months of the year in Kilkee.

Sal Butamol wrote: »

Even with the cracking weather this summer they said the caravan park was half empty and they place was just deserted most of the time. No atmosphere at night anywhere.

More drivel. I know all the park owners well. Almost universally they said the parks for full for July. Every single night. They had never seen it as busy.

Mikefitzs wrote: »

They are inviting places to go, places that have character.

Spanish Point?!?!?!:D


[/quote] There's 2 extremely famous names associated with Kilkee but they're not being exploited and capitalised on: Che Guevara and Richard Harris. .[/QUOTE]


http://www.loophead.ie/events/che-do-bheatha/

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

Thick eejits, 3rd & 4th generation unemployed, possibly inbred, no desire to better themselves in any way and will never amount to anything. The highlight of their week appears to be going out on a Saturday night purely in order to cause trouble. Throwing half full bottles in crowds trying to start a fight so they can prove to each other that they’re such big men. Seriously what sad pathetic losers.

Another fella making stuff up.

4ensic15 wrote: »

I was in Kilkee in August and there was no lunch available in the Golf Club..

I regularly ate lunch in the Golf Club in August. I just don't believe this to be true.

mitresize5

great post but your wasting your time with some of the clowns posting on this thread

CrowdedHouse

Oh well we're heading there tomorrow for a few days, weather is not looking great though unlike a weekend in June but it might be easier to get fed and watered.


Cliff Walk 23rd June

Sal Butamol

There was a really funny review of Hickies on TripAdvisor a while back. It was mental stuff, Mary locking them in the room, threatening to call the Gardai etc.

Read like an Episode of Fawlty Towers. Wish I could find it

4ensic15

Palmach wrote: »

I regularly ate lunch in the Golf Club in August. I just don't believe this to be true.

I was there this time last month. It wasn't offering lunch. Believe it or not.

Sal Butamol

Found it

We had the most awful and upsetting experience staying in the Bayview.

We were shouted at, insulted in a most horrendous fashion, locked in to the property and locked out and intimidated in a most unbelievable way.

We were treated with total contempt and ignorance from the proprietor, Mary Hickie, from the moment we stepped foot on the premises.

The rooms had recently been done up and were beautiful but we were made feel like we had to be on our best behaviour. Mary accosted us in the hallway 10 mins after check-in to apprehend us for going to the bar to get a cup of tea and complained that no beverages were allowed in the room.

She declined to tell us the check out times or breakfast times leaving us in a mass of total confusion.

She then entered our room while we were changing our clothes asking us did we know someone called O'Reilly? She did not make any apology for barging in on top of us and barked the question at us with such ignorance. I felt most unwelcome and knew by then that we had made a terrible mistake by staying there.

Coming back later that evening, the whole place was locked up. Luckily, Mary's son saw us and came to let us in.

The next morning, Mary came to our room banging on the door and shouting at us to know if we were leaving, this was 10.40. We then proceeded to have showers but there was no hot water.

When I went to ask Mary about the water she said it was our fault and that we should have gotten up earlier.

My husband was very annoyed by this and when we were checking out demanded that we get a discount. At this, Mary started shouting at us and said that we had gotten good value enough on the room as they had just recently been done up. Then a blonde haired woman arrived at the checkout and said that if we had been up earlier we would have had hot water and implied that myself and my husband were having sexual relations with each other and that was why we had been late having showers.

I am not making this up.

My husband was shocked and annoyed by this and refused to pay at all. At that Mary shouted to her son to get up and locked the door so we could not leave. Then Mary and the blonde woman said they were calling the police and started hurtling abuse at us.

Eventually we paid just to be able to get out of the place.

It was a total nightmare and I would urge all not to stay there.

The proprietor lets the beautiful property down.

We have recently returned to Kilkee and stayed at the Stella Maris which I am glad to say was a much nicer experience

4ensic15

I went in there for lunch and her demeanour was so awful, I wouldn't go in there again. She is despicable.

Mikefitzs

Palmach wrote: »

In the 1980s there was one restaurant in Kilkee and no coffee shop except for the mausoleum that was the Victoria Dining Room. Now there are several. The town was grey and drab. Now things are bright and painted. There are flower boxes around. The library is now a really busy culture centre instead of draughty dingy dive it was. There is a dive centre, water sports activities and classes. None of which were there in the 80s. Believe me I was there for the whole of that decade. You have a new square at the centre of the town. Washing taps on the beech. A new exercise route along the beech along the way. Three hotels now open and fourth to come. It is a far far better place now than it was 30 years ago.





Really. I doubt it. More liike they forgot to take it down.





So you have made up stuff about Kilkee because you haven't been there in 10 years. Why are you even on a thread about contemporary Kilkee.?





Are you in the Hotel business? Hotels do stay opne for 12 months of the year in Kilkee.





More drivel. I know all the park owners well. Almost universally they said the parks for full for July. Every single night. They had never seen it as busy.







Spanish Point?!?!?!:D

There's 2 extremely famous names associated with Kilkee but they're not being exploited and capitalised on: Che Guevara and Richard Harris. .[/QUOTE]


http://www.loophead.ie/events/che-do-bheatha/





Another fella making stuff up.





I regularly ate lunch in the Golf Club in August. I just don't believe this to be true.[/QUOTE]

Here's the problem, it's you and people like you. You're blind to the fact that what little you have in Kilkee is out of date and out of touch with what the public want these days. You're not listening to what all the complaints are, your eyes, ears and mind are closed, I really don't care what you spout, at the moment Kilkee is a kip and this is clearly the consensus of the majority from the posts here on Boards.ie
As for Spanish Point, it's a beautiful quaint village that has fantastic top quality accommodation and excellent West Clare hospitality, things that are missing from Kilkee.

Scullion, what a top act, are they still living? The festival is about as out of touch with reality as yourself.

ABEasy

Mikefitzs wrote: »

There's 2 extremely famous names associated with Kilkee but they're not being exploited and capitalised on: Che Guevara and Richard Harris. .

http://www.loophead.ie/events/che-do-bheatha/





Another fella making stuff up.





I regularly ate lunch in the Golf Club in August. I just don't believe this to be true.[/QUOTE]

Here's the problem, it's you and people like you. You're blind to the fact that what little you have in Kilkee is out of date and out of touch with what the public want these days. You're not listening to what all the complaints are, your eyes, ears and mind are closed, I really don't care what you spout, at the moment Kilkee is a kip and this is clearly the consensus of the majority from the posts here on Boards.ie
As for Spanish Point, it's a beautiful quaint village that has fantastic top quality accommodation and excellent West Clare hospitality, things that are missing from Kilkee.

Scullion, what a top act, are they still living? The festival is about as out of touch with reality as yourself.[/quote]

In fairness the majority of posters have been defending kilkee. It is a great village & seaside resort. Its beach, location on loop head, its diving, its cliff walks, the pollockholes, all great natural assets & you keep spouting on about bloody hotels.........

Mikefitzs

ABEasy wrote: »

http://www.loophead.ie/events/che-do-bheatha/





Another fella making stuff up.





I regularly ate lunch in the Golf Club in August. I just don't believe this to be true.

Here's the problem, it's you and people like you. You're blind to the fact that what little you have in Kilkee is out of date and out of touch with what the public want these days. You're not listening to what all the complaints are, your eyes, ears and mind are closed, I really don't care what you spout, at the moment Kilkee is a kip and this is clearly the consensus of the majority from the posts here on Boards.ie
As for Spanish Point, it's a beautiful quaint village that has fantastic top quality accommodation and excellent West Clare hospitality, things that are missing from Kilkee.

Scullion, what a top act, are they still living? The festival is about as out of touch with reality as yourself.[/quote]

In fairness the majority of posters have been defending kilkee. It is a great village & seaside resort. Its beach, location on loop head, its diving, its cliff walks, the pollockholes, all great natural assets & you keep spouting on about bloody hotels.........[/quote]

Must be really bad if you need to defend it. You need to redo your head count on that, not just the same few people saying how great it is.
We are telling you what we see wrong and you don’t seem to want to fix it. Your loss.

JCX BXC

Sure don't we all know Rome was built in a day.

There's alot that can be done to Kilkee, but things are being done. Alot slower than they should be but things are always happening.

ABEasy

Mikefitzs wrote: »

Here's the problem, it's you and people like you. You're blind to the fact that what little you have in Kilkee is out of date and out of touch with what the public want these days. You're not listening to what all the complaints are, your eyes, ears and mind are closed, I really don't care what you spout, at the moment Kilkee is a kip and this is clearly the consensus of the majority from the posts here on Boards.ie
As for Spanish Point, it's a beautiful quaint village that has fantastic top quality accommodation and excellent West Clare hospitality, things that are missing from Kilkee.

Scullion, what a top act, are they still living? The festival is about as out of touch with reality as yourself.

In fairness the majority of posters have been defending kilkee. It is a great village & seaside resort. Its beach, location on loop head, its diving, its cliff walks, the pollockholes, all great natural assets & you keep spouting on about bloody hotels.........[/quote]

Must be really bad if you need to defend it. You need to redo your head count on that, not just the same few people saying how great it is.
We are telling you what we see wrong and you don’t seem to want to fix it. Your loss.[/quote]

How's it my loss? I think the place is great, and don't agree with your version of what is wrong with it! I'm defending it because you keep unfairly talking the place down based on your sugar coated memory of how it used to be!

This year there have been various events and festivals, this weekend there is the junior lifesaving competition I believe, the che festival next weekend, earlier in the summer the new kilkee run, the hell of the west, the life saving races two or three weekends ago, loop head food festival, add in various live music events and the great weather! It was a great summer & kudos to the organisers in the town & the tidy towns committee, really pushing the town this year!

Mikefitzs

ABEasy wrote: »

In fairness the majority of posters have been defending kilkee. It is a great village & seaside resort. Its beach, location on loop head, its diving, its cliff walks, the pollockholes, all great natural assets & you keep spouting on about bloody hotels.........

Must be really bad if you need to defend it. You need to redo your head count on that, not just the same few people saying how great it is.
We are telling you what we see wrong and you don’t seem to want to fix it. Your loss.[/quote]

How's it my loss? I think the place is great, and don't agree with your version of what is wrong with it! I'm defending it because you keep unfairly talking the place down based on your sugar coated memory of how it used to be!

This year there have been various events and festivals, this weekend there is the junior lifesaving competition I believe, the che festival next weekend, earlier in the summer the new kilkee run, the hell of the west, the life saving races two or three weekends ago, loop head food festival, add in various live music events and the great weather! It was a great summer & kudos to the organisers in the town & the tidy towns committee, really pushing the town this year![/QUOTE]

Wow, you're about as deep in denial as you can get. Hopefully the next generation of business owners in Kilkee will make an attempt at getting it back on the tourist map. Nothing wrong with the beautiful coastline and the the villages nearby, it's just Kilkee itself that the issues are with.
I won't reply to you on this again, not worth the effort, simply because you don't want to listen.

Mailcoachinn

Mikefitzs wrote: »

Must be really bad if you need to defend it. You need to redo your head count on that, not just the same few people saying how great it is.
We are telling you what we see wrong and you don’t seem to want to fix it. Your loss.

How's it my loss? I think the place is great, and don't agree with your version of what is wrong with it! I'm defending it because you keep unfairly talking the place down based on your sugar coated memory of how it used to be!

This year there have been various events and festivals, this weekend there is the junior lifesaving competition I believe, the che festival next weekend, earlier in the summer the new kilkee run, the hell of the west, the life saving races two or three weekends ago, loop head food festival, add in various live music events and the great weather! It was a great summer & kudos to the organisers in the town & the tidy towns committee, really pushing the town this year![/QUOTE]

Wow, you're about as deep in denial as you can get. Hopefully the next generation of business owners in Kilkee will make an attempt at getting it back on the tourist map. Nothing wrong with the beautiful coastline and the the villages nearby, it's just Kilkee itself that the issues are with.
I won't reply to you on this again, not worth the effort, simply because you don't want to listen.[/quote]

Who will be the next generation of business owners? Young people are leaving the area in their droves

ABEasy

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

How's it my loss? I think the place is great, and don't agree with your version of what is wrong with it! I'm defending it because you keep unfairly talking the place down based on your sugar coated memory of how it used to be!

This year there have been various events and festivals, this weekend there is the junior lifesaving competition I believe, the che festival next weekend, earlier in the summer the new kilkee run, the hell of the west, the life saving races two or three weekends ago, loop head food festival, add in various live music events and the great weather! It was a great summer & kudos to the organisers in the town & the tidy towns committee, really pushing the town this year!

Wow, you're about as deep in denial as you can get. Hopefully the next generation of business owners in Kilkee will make an attempt at getting it back on the tourist map. Nothing wrong with the beautiful coastline and the the villages nearby, it's just Kilkee itself that the issues are with.
I won't reply to you on this again, not worth the effort, simply because you don't want to listen.[/quote]

Who will be the next generation of business owners? Young people are leaving the area in their droves[/quote]

Young people have always left the area though! There is no local industry, just farming and tourism which is seasonal. Young adults naturally levitate to cities where employment & opportunity is plentiful, be that Dublin, Cork, Limerick or Galway.

mrsoundie

Gentleman, I grew up there, fell in love and moved away, always liked going back at least once a year.

Kilkee needs money and a new perspective. That's starting to be established there, however, Kilkee suffers from one thing. It's not Lahinch made plain by the lack of speed in repairing the seawall after the major storm. A unified community is what's required, with that the rest should come together.

Even in a storm, the place has something about it and this needs to be developed.

Sal Butamol

mrsoundie wrote: »

Gentleman, I grew up there, fell in love and moved away, always liked going back at least once a year.

Kilkee needs money and a new perspective. That's starting to be established there, however, Kilkee suffers from one thing. It's not Lahinch made plain by the lack of speed in repairing the seawall after the major storm. A unified community is what's required, with that the rest should come together.

Even in a storm, the place has something about it and this needs to be developed.

Best thing for Kilkee would be for a tsunami to wash away the town.

Cookiemunster

I really can't get my head around the fact that certain posters can't accept the fact that of the thousands of people go there every summer and love the place. If ye hate the place so much then don't fcuking go there and leave to the people who do like it.

Sal Butamol

Ah yes, go to a place for 30 years but don't dare highlight anything negative about it just fcuk off and stay at home.

Looks like many regulars have chosen to do just that.

Mailcoachinn

Sal Butamol wrote: »

Looks like many regulars have chosen to do just that.

Yep

Sal Butamol

Has always been the attitude in Kilkee from the locals.

"Give us your money and fcuk off"

A nasty insular bunch