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What the hell has happened to Kilkee?

Sal Butamol

Absolutely astonished at the state of Kilkee these days. Place is so run down and dead. Very sad to see. So many closed businesses and the ones that are open shut at 6pm (besides pubs)

Place is deserted.

What's going on?

Spent every summer there throughout the 80s and 90s but it is a sad shadow of itself these days.

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godfrey

There is definitely some momentum happening in Kilkee, and tons more needs to be done too. Something for families in the evenings would help, whatever that is... And also more accommodation and eating out at reasonable prices.

g

JCX BXC

godfrey wrote: »

There is definitely some momentum happening in Kilkee, and tons more needs to be done too. Something for families in the evenings would help, whatever that is... And also more accommodation and eating out at reasonable prices.

g

Kilkee Bay Hotel reopening next year.

fryup

the last time i was in kilkee about 4 years back there was a tropical style burger bar at the end of the main st, forget the name...is it still open does anyone know?

JCX BXC

fryup wrote: »

the last time i was in kilkee about 4 years back there was a tropical style burger bar at the end of the main st, forget the name...is it still open does anyone know?

Nope it's closed, I forget what it was called but it was beside the greyhound. It moved to a location out the carrigaholt road called "Garvey's", with a shop beside ot. Think the takeaway is gone completely now. The original building is now a cuban style section of the greyhound.

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^

thats a pity liked that place

Mailcoachinn

I haven’t managed to make it to Kilkee this year unfortunately due to work commitments and various other things going on, and was only there very briefly for a couple of hours last year. What’s it been like in general this summer? I find it hard to believe that things have gone so downhill so fast, as some of the posts in this thread seem to indicate...

johnnyjb

Never stayed in Kilkee myself.

Would it be any craic on a Paddy weekend?

Iodine1

Visited earlier this year and while it was busy enough (weekend) there was a load of smelly dirt of God knows what origin at the end of the beach. Beside the alleys and even walking by on the road up high was awful. Staff in shops / restaurants were very friendly and helpful.

Mailcoachinn

johnnyjb wrote: »

Never stayed in Kilkee myself.

Would it be any craic on a Paddy weekend?

The last time I was there on paddy’s day was 2016. It was like something out of Father Ted. Great craic though

Cookiemunster

Iodine1 wrote: »

Visited earlier this year and while it was busy enough (weekend) there was a load of smelly dirt of God knows what origin at the end of the beach. Beside the alleys and even walking by on the road up high was awful. Staff in shops / restaurants were very friendly and helpful.

Rotting seaweed. It always gets washed down to that end of the beach. Apparently it can't be removed from blue flag beaches.

4ensic15

Kilkee now has two main types of visitor, day trippers and self-caterers. Neither spends as much money in the town as hotel guests and some spend very little. Hotels are not viable in those circumstances. The proliferation of car ownership means people travel from small towns to bigger towns to make purchases. There are 3 mini markets and four coffee shops in Kilkee. They seem to be the only places there is any kind of spending. The twin curses of unpredictable weather and a short season deter any kind of investment. The other factor about Kilkee is the rudeness of some of the proprietors of the various establishments. Some of their staff are not much better. Do young bar staff not know it is their job to try and engage customers in conversation and not chat with their colleague instead when things are quiet at the bar?

Mailcoachinn

4ensic15 wrote: »

Kilkee now has two main types of visitor, day trippers and self-caterers. Neither spends as much money in the town as hotel guests and some spend very little. Hotels are not viable in those circumstances. The proliferation of car ownership means people travel from small towns to bigger towns to make purchases. There are 3 mini markets and four coffee shops in Kilkee. They seem to be the only places there is any kind of spending. The twin curses of unpredictable weather and a short season deter any kind of investment. The other factor about Kilkee is the rudeness of some of the proprietors of the various establishments. Some of their staff are not much better. Do young bar staff not know it is their job to try and engage customers in conversation and not chat with their colleague instead when things are quiet at the bar?

The staff in Myles Creek I have always found to be very friendly. Same goes for O’Mara’s & the Central. Can’t really say the same about most of the other pubs. And the incumbent manager of the Greyhound is quite frankly the most rudest, vile, stuck up individual that I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with

Johnboy1951

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Rotting seaweed. It always gets washed down to that end of the beach. Apparently it can't be removed from blue flag beaches.

You jest! ???

Any idea why not?

Cookiemunster

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

You jest! ???

Any idea why not?

No jesting. It says it in this article. http://clarechampion.ie/crying-foul-over-kilkee-seaweed/

fryup

^^^^^^^^^^^

Criterion 15 of the Blue Flag regulations state that algae vegetation or natural debris should be left on the beach,”

but why?? if its causing a smell its going to put people off going to said beach surely??

seaweed regrows all the time doesn't it?? so whats the big deal of removing it?

*maybe some environmentalist out there can explain it

Johnboy1951

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^

but why?? if its causing a smell its going to put people off going to said beach surely??

seaweed regrows all the time doesn't it?? so whats the big deal of removing it?

That is what I am trying to figure out.
The seaweed on the beach is like lawn clippings ....... discarded from the growing weed in the sea.

Other beaches in various locations around the world are cleansed and even treated every night/morning with machinery.
What is so precious with our seaweed that it must be left on the beach to rot and stink up the area?

BTW it makes great fertiliser if you care to use it.

JCX BXC

Mailcoachinn wrote: »

I haven’t managed to make it to Kilkee this year unfortunately due to work commitments and various other things going on, and was only there very briefly for a couple of hours last year. What’s it been like in general this summer? I find it hard to believe that things have gone so downhill so fast, as some of the posts in this thread seem to indicate...

It reached rock bottom a few years ago, this year is the most momentum Kilkee has seen since the early Celtic tiger.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

JCX BXC

jacksie66 wrote: »

Dunno if it's still there but I was in Kilkee a few months ago. Was amazed by the cut of the place. Big derelict building by the beach with massive writing saying The Earth Is Flat. Nice thing for tourists to see.

Eh, the Waterfront doesn't look particularly derelict (lots I'd change before that one anyways), and that small graffiti was dealt with quickly. There was massive local outrage, but personally I found it quite comical. (Especially given the outrage at such a minor offense).

nthclare

JCX BXC wrote: »

Eh, the Waterfront doesn't look particularly derelict (lots I'd change before that one anyways), and that small graffiti was dealt with quickly. There was massive local outrage, but personally I found it quite comical. (Especially given the outrage at such a minor offense).

Seriously are you serious.

The waterfront could be the most spectacular Victorian waterfront in the west of Ireland.

I think its a shame to have such a significant location looking in a bad situation.

Each to their own, but your post is typical of the post of someone with a lack of taste and more muck savagery.....

I respect your opinion, but its the opposite to mine....

JCX BXC

nthclare wrote: »

Seriously are you serious.

The waterfront could be the most spectacular Victorian waterfront in the west of Ireland.

I think its a shame to have such a significant location looking in a bad situation.

Each to their own, but your post is typical of the post of someone with a lack of taste and more muck savagery.....

I respect your opinion, but its the opposite to mine....

The waterfront is the building we are discussing, the one on the corner? I'm not on about the entire Waterfront, which I think is entirely wasted on residential properties, but will never change.

Also, perhaps try to understand a post before you accuse someone of having "a lack of taste and more much savagery", it seems like a quite a sudden and aggressive outburst which is entirely uncalled for.

Johnboy1951

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

That is what I am trying to figure out.
The seaweed on the beach is like lawn clippings ....... discarded from the growing weed in the sea.

Other beaches in various locations around the world are cleansed and even treated every night/morning with machinery.
What is so precious with our seaweed that it must be left on the beach to rot and stink up the area?

BTW it makes great fertiliser if you care to use it.

Thinking about this, there would appear to be no 'Blue flag' problem if the seaweed were to be ground up and rotavated deep into the sand at regular intervals, where it could naturally decompose without causing offensive smells.

Mailcoachinn

JCX BXC wrote: »

It reached rock bottom a few years ago, this year is the most momentum Kilkee has seen since the early Celtic tiger.

I finally made it down there this weekend. The beach & the cliff walk were very nice as always but the town itself really has gone to the dogs. What a shame...

nthclare

JCX BXC wrote: »

The waterfront is the building we are discussing, the one on the corner? I'm not on about the entire Waterfront, which I think is entirely wasted on residential properties, but will never change.

Also, perhaps try to understand a post before you accuse someone of having "a lack of taste and more much savagery", it seems like a quite a sudden and aggressive outburst which is entirely uncalled for.

Ok I see you're offended by my post, but seriously Kilkee needs to be upgraded and historical correctness and creativity would go a long way.

I don't think spraying graffiti on the walls is funny or acceptable, but if it gives you chuckle thats ok too....

Im up near Fanore, but I still think Kilkee is just as important as anyother town in Clare...

Dont you think so ?

jcd5971

Most people living in Kilkee are working elsewhere and commuting to and from work.

For most of them the tourists are a pain in the hole, and I know a good chunk of locals are happy enough that it's quieter these days.

It's also not like the tourists that come are a great boon anyway, by and large it's the riff raff from limerick, that cause more trouble than they're worth.

JCX BXC

nthclare wrote: »

Ok I see you're offended by my post, but seriously Kilkee needs to be upgraded and historical correctness and creativity would go a long way.

I don't think spraying graffiti on the walls is funny or acceptable, but if it gives you chuckle thats ok too....

Im up near Fanore, but I still think Kilkee is just as important as anyother town in Clare...

Dont you think so ?

"Historical correctness"? What?

Anyway, Kilkee needs alot done to it. However, Clare County Council couldn't care less and that will hardly change soon. Give the example of storm damage. Lahinch was repaired asap, yet the road sections in Kilkee were left to rot for over a year! And then planning itself is bizzare and treated unlike anywhere else. Take a look at the building beside the pharmacy, they transformed it into a two storey wall! Took out doors and windows and now it's a two storey slab of concrete. Words cannot describe my sense of dumbfoundedness at that development.

Business appetites are on the up however, and that's one of the ways Kilkee can be transformed in spite of an entirely incompetent local government. So what would I like in an ideal world?

Those half finished apartments at the back of the old 'Arcadia' should be demolished again, taking with it that exceptionally drear looking auctioneers beside it and perhaps another building past that again. In its place, put a nice three story hotel with a good restaurant/bar preferably above the ground floor with views over Kilkee bay.

While some fantastic houses along the seafront should be fully protected, there's some fairly poor looking shacks along there too. The esplanade for one! A more rigorous transformation and perhaps an attempt to make these buildings look Victorian while allowing for the operation of commercial entities would vastly improve the functionality and aesthetics of the seafront as the hub of tourist facilitating town.

The Ocean cove would function great as an upper class hotel for Kilkee, providing necessary upgrades were made. Perhaps it would be too much work, I don't know the dimensions or conditions of the hotel currently, but as I said, in an ideal world.

Strictly no alcohol on the beach. During the heatwave Kilkee became very busy and Infact looked a little better in temperatures of 30c +, however the beach was littered with cans and bottles after a day of many relaxing on the beach with alcohol. It did not look nice whatsoever. While there was other forms of litter, the alcohol containers really stuck out.

A better supermarket. Something like a large Centra or a SuperValu would be truly great, especially if located along the seafront (perhaps with a carpark to the rear?)
Hayes and Mace are okay for a few things, but very pricey and have poor choice. Somewhere like SuperValu would suit the town perfectly.

A caravan and camping park would be brilliant for the town as well, ideally somewhere not far from either the beach or the town, while not causing an eyesore. All Kilkee has is mobile homes, which are great for those visiting regularly and cannot afford houses, but no good for those who wish to camp or tour with a caravan. The nearest one is doonaha, and there's sweet fa out there. It would enhance tourism in the area.

And my last 2, bike rentals and more car parking. Bike rentals would do great in my opinion, and car parking is quite poor in Kilkee, bar a few spaces beside the Waterfront and near the lifeboat station.

JCX BXC

jcd5971 wrote: »

Most people living in Kilkee are working elsewhere and commuting to and from work.

For most of them the tourists are a pain in the hole, and I know a good chunk of locals are happy enough that it's quieter these days.

It's also not like the tourists that come are a great boon anyway, by and large it's the riff raff from limerick, that cause more trouble than they're worth.

The entire population of 1024? All Kilkee is in the winter is a dead concrete wasteland, which looks like it's been entirely abandoned.

Mailcoachinn

JCX BXC wrote: »

The entire population of 1024? All Kilkee is in the winter is a dead concrete wasteland, which looks like it's been entirely abandoned.

This I can vouch for. I was living and working in Kilkee for a couple of months in late 2010/early 2011. The place looked like a seaside version of Pripyat

Ger Roe

Stanford wrote: »

Well Failte Ireland put a lot of money into marketing the Wild Atlantic Way but it is for each business to make itself attractive for people to visit

Agreed, but there is a disconnection there that needs to be addressed. Failte can't promote in isolation, there needs to be some co-ordination with local businesses to ensure that people will actually come back once they are persuaded to come here in the first place.

As an example, I live close to Greystones and it is currently benefiting from the promotion of Ireland's Ancient East. I know that because I see the constant stream of foreign camper vans parked at the roadsides all along the seafront. There are no serviced site facilities for them to park up and enjoy the experience. I often wonder how many of them will be back, or what they might tell their friends when they get home?.

I don't think it's good enough for Failte to promote a location in isolation and regardless of what the locality may or may not have to offer the visitors that they attract.

I don't know what the answer is, but doing half the job certainly isn't it. Still, as long as the visitor numbers increase initially, someone will get their pay bonus. They can then provide some class of excuse as to why we don't get repeat business visitors and the same people will then be paid to address that issue too.

The older I get, the more cynical I become :rolleyes:

Jim Martin

I'm beginning to wonder if large hotels are the answer to Kilkee's future any more, as the town's clientele has changed over the last few decades, Maybe the Kilkee Town House Hotel concept, tastefully modernised, period buildings which are more personal are the answer, to appeal to a more discerning customer who is looking for comfort in a dirtinctive period seaside town which still, to my mind, has great potential?