Crazy golf amenity sees 30pc drop in business

The owner of a fun golf amenity park near Fethard on Sea has criticised the Government for giving no consideration for businesses like his which rely on visitors to the area to have a good summer trading season.

Frank Browne of Abbey Par 3 Golf, Winningtown, said: “30pc of my business is wiped out. What we all need in this area is new faces, people who stay for a week and want to do whatever is available locally.” He said mobile home parks – of which there are several in the area – only account for 5pc of business. “People are coming here to stay in their mobile home and look at the TV. They go home after a week.

You need families who go away for one or two weeks every year and spend a few grand. People even in a local supermarket have said business is down.” Frank said the lack of holiday homes available on the rental market due to the Russian war in Ukraine is causing huge problems for businesses like his which are very reliant on short term visitors to the area.

“The ones we depend on are the ones given to the people fleeing the war. It’s not suitable conditions for them, where they have been located.

The Government took them all in and didn’t see the consequences for the people. People in business around here are disgusted.”

In business for 18 years, 2023 was one of his worst yet for Frank.

“I’m down 30pc. Up to 2019 every single family in those holiday homes came here, especially for crazy golf. Lots of other businesses benefited too. The Government has totally displaced the tourism industry. They are relying on multinationals. The number of young people from Fethard alone leaving for Australia (and that have left) is frightening. They aren’t coming back because they have nowhere to stay. There are parents, grandkids all living under one roof.

“I know the refugees didn’t choose what happened in their country but our Government didn’t look to see what the consequences would be for people trying to survive in the tourism industry.” Frank said Ireland is likely to see growing numbers who want to live and stay in Ireland as global temperatures rise, meaning there should be a boom time ahead for tourism, but poor planning has put this in grave jeopardy.

“Even people who want to stay here, there is nowhere going for a reasonable rent. Were these holidays home ever meant to be permanent homes? Was planning there for that?” Frank employs casual staff and says with business flagging, there are uncertain times ahead. “My crazy golf used to be packed solid.

“The Footie Golf was popular too. We diversified into both after the crash in 2009 and over the years I have invested a lot. I am depending on this for my livelihood. We are ten generations here.” Frank said every business in the area has been affected by the fact that almost all of the holiday homes at Hookless Village are no longer being on the market every year for casual tourists.

“The Government are completely out of touch with the reality of life in rural Ireland. All they want is their multinationals and their VAT.”