Bundoran residents credit Northerners for keeping town active through winter

Bundoran, County Donegal, relies heavily on visitors from Northern Ireland to sustain its economy during the winter months. Kevin Carmody, secretary of the Bundoran Golf Club, stated that revenues for the club are up this year. He noted that the town's season has extended considerably due to an influx of day-trippers from the North, which sits just eight miles away.

Carmody explained that the proximity to Derry, Strabane, Omagh, and Enniskillen makes the resort an easy destination for short trips. He said these visitors walk the headland, visit amusement arcades, and support local businesses. He added, “They’re good businesses, employ a lot of people and our northern cousins frequent them quite a bit.”

Local hotelier Brian McEniff, who operates the Great Northern Hotel and the Holyrood Hotel, acknowledged that filling beds from mid-November to mid-February remains difficult. He said the town closes for about two weeks around Christmas. McEniff attributed their survival to competitive pricing and offers. He stated, “Those three months are very lean. We get by. We have learned a lot of skills in putting heads on beds.”

At the Olympic Arcade, manager Bernie Fox said the town gets very quiet in October but weekends remain busy. She noted that many of the regular patrons are older residents from the North who have visited Bundoran since the Troubles. Fox said, “There’s no talk of Troubles; it’s always very relaxing. There’s great friendships created here.”

Newer businesses are also adapting to the seasonal shift. Sinead O’Connor, owner of The Rusty Axe, plans to keep her axe-throwing venue open on reduced hours this winter. She said she has had no accidents and that women often outperform men in the activity. She plans to add archery to the menu next year.

Surf instructor Owen Murphy observed that former holiday homes have become permanent residences for remote workers. He said this demographic supports local cafes and restaurants. He noted, “Thirty years ago it would have been shutters down for winter.”

Patricia Daniel, a retiree who has been splitting time between South Africa and Bundoran since 2014, described the winter as blissful. She walked to the beach on Christmas Day and found it empty. She said, “The winter was lovely.. It was absolute bliss.”

Noah Lane, owner of the Foam cafe, said it is nice to be open for locals as well as tourists. He recalled the pride of staying open all year previously. He said, “That felt like a really big achievement to be able to offer people work year round in a volatile tourist industry.”

The town population drops to less than 3,000 after the funfair crowds leave in August. In peak season, Bundoran accommodates up to 12,000 tourists, with day-trippers swelling that number to 30,000. Local businesses continue to operate through rain, showers, and snow.

Pro-surfer Conor Maguire said winter has started well with good waves most days. He noted that surfers from Hawaii and Australia come for a month or two to catch the swells. He said, “Nature dictates when we get big swells.. so everyone’s happy.”