Carrick-on-Shannon has developed a reputation as a destination for stag and hen parties, and there’s no doubt that tourism brings business and employment to the town. But I’m increasingly curious about what that means for Carrick’s long-term future as somewhere to actually live.

A few things stand out to me:

Housing
A quick Airbnb search for Carrick returns over 200 entire-home listings for some weekends. That’s a striking number for a relatively small town.

How much of the local housing stock is now dedicated to short-term accommodation? What effect is that having on people trying to rent or buy locally? And is anyone actually monitoring the impact?

Nightlife
Carrick has an extraordinary concentration of pubs, late bars and nightlife for its size. Obviously these businesses attract visitors and generate economic activity, but is the town becoming too dependent on weekend party tourism?

There’s also the question of whether the town centre is increasingly being shaped around the needs of weekend visitors rather than permanent residents. Is the balance right between supporting nightlife and maintaining a town centre that’s pleasant to live in?

The high street
The recently announced closure of Sonnies Coffee House, following the non-renewal of its lease, got me thinking about the future of Carrick’s town centre. Alongside the closure of smaller retailers such as the woollen jumper shop, are we gradually losing the variety of everyday businesses that make a town centre useful and attractive to residents? For example it’s easier to get a pint of beer than a pint of milk in town unless you drive to one of the big supermarkets on the outskirts!

It’s not that Carrick doesn’t need pubs, restaurants or hospitality businesses. Of course it does. But a thriving town also needs independent shops, cafés, services and places that cater to ordinary daily life.
Are we gradually moving towards a town centre dominated by hospitality and tourism, at the expense of a more diverse mix of businesses?

Who actually benefits economically?
We constantly hear about how much money stag and hen tourism brings into Carrick, but I’d be interested to know how widely that money circulates through the local economy.

If a group books accommodation, activities, food, transport and nightlife as part of a weekend package, how many genuinely independent local businesses benefit?

Is ownership of Carrick’s tourism infrastructure spread across lots of businesses, or concentrated among a relatively small number of operators?
Neither is necessarily a problem in itself, but it would be interesting to understand the economics rather than simply assuming that more visitors automatically means a better outcome for the town as a whole.

The bigger picture
I’m not suggesting tourism is inherently bad, or that Carrick should stop welcoming visitors. It’s clearly an important part of the local economy, and plenty of local people depend on it.

But what does Carrick look like in 10 or 20 years if these trends continue?

Will it be somewhere young families can afford to live? Will there be a diverse high street serving local residents? Will the town centre remain an attractive place to live, or increasingly become somewhere people visit for the weekend and leave again?

And perhaps most importantly, is there a coherent long-term vision for Carrick that balances tourism, housing, retail and the needs of permanent residents?

Genuinely interested in hearing perspectives from locals, business owners and people who have watched the town change over the years.

Where do people think Carrick is headed, and is it the direction we actually want?

Hi guys! My brother has a very small organic egg honesty box in Doughill, between Roscommon and Lanesborough (just beside the Johns of Doughill pub). If anyone in the area is looking for eggs, I’d so appreciate if you could support his small business idea get off the ground. He even made the wooden box himself 🤭 Eircode is F42 VX58 and the eggs are €3.50 for 6 - Cash or Revolut accepted. And the eggs are free range and organic. Thank you so much! ❤️

I was thinking of creating a group on the app meet up for sligo for people in their late teens until early 30's to meet friends in the sligo Town area.

I've just moved the area after university. I've noticed it is hard to make new friends. I thought this would be an easier way and eventually if the group is a success there can be day out places and can do fun activities together.

Just posting on here first to see what people think 🤔

Hello! Not from the area. Looking to send someone dinner from overseas. No luck finding a decent place with delivery!! Surely there's at least one or two fellow lazy people out there that have figured out a system to get deliveries! I was thinking of paying a taxi person to do it but there's no options to pay for that online.

I found a super tasty looking restaurant in Drumshanbo but the intended place of delivery is over half an hour and they won't drive out soo far!

Is there such thing as under the table ubereats drivers out there or what is everyone doing?

Has been, for a couple of weeks now. That '500' thread is now seriously messing with my head. If no one else is fixing it? Figured this might? :D

Hey, I'm starting a new job in 2 weeks in Carrick on Shannon and was just wondering how bad the traffic is before 9am?

For reference I'll be coming from Elphin side and working in Shannonside Retail Park.

Thanks :)

I am considering purchasing an apartment in Carrick-on Shannon as there are many good deals there. My questions are, how big of a threat are floods? How regular are they? Is house insurance through the roof? Is it worth the risk?

Lovely opportunity for somebody: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/xsc7LeWQDKp84axf/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Any females out there who want to chat, and see how things go? Not into long distance. Hmu if you're in Ireland and single. No cheaters required.

Hi all, Galway Gardaí are raising funds for Little Blue Heroes in memory of HG Jack Lawless. We are having a charity Darts 🎯 night in De Burgos, Galway on 19th April and we have a raffle for spot prizes donated from local business in Galway. All are welcome on the night. Raffle entries are €10 each, 3 for € 20 or 8 for €50. Anyone interested in entering the raffle and supporting Little Blue Heroes can do so by revolut to myself www.revolut.me/simontierney89 or Damien Carey www.revolut.me/damieni96r and leave a contact number or email in the message section. With regards to Raffle Prize #2 🏇 we are delighted to say there will now be 2 of these VIP trips up for grabs! The auction segment of the signed international rugby jerseys fundraiser also concludes on the night and bids for that can be made at https://littleblueheroes.org/charity-auction Thanks for your time and we hope to see some of you on the night!!

I Know there's Reddits. Just looking for anyone local, and figured this could cut to the chase :)

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I know, lots of you will say neither. But hear me out. We are living in a very rural African country so literally anywhere else will feel bustling and big to us. We want to move because we want our children to be able to experience a bit more than what is available to us here (which is two supermarkets and a clothing store). But we are not looking for big city excitement. We are small town people, looking for a quiet place to settle down. Just... a place where our kids can have friends and maybe sign up for clubs to do activities. Chess or karate or something like that.

We've had our hearts set on Leitrim. But now I'm seeing how much cheaper the property in Roscommon is. Is there a reason for this? Is Roscommon awful, and if so, why? Or is it just rural and quiet, without a lot of job opportunities? (This wouldn't be a problem for us, we are self-employed and work remotely.)

So please help me out: Roscommon or Leitrim? Or does it not matter? Our main priority is giving our young boys a safe, happy childhood where they can get on their bikes to visit friends and go to small but nice schools.

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Also posted in MovetoIreland and Roscommon reddits

Some pics with the Irish Rugby Players supporting the Little Blue Heroes Charity fundraisers. 33 signed rugby jerseys up for grabs. Raffle entry is via a small donation to www.idonate.ie/RugbyLBH (€5 - 1 entry, €8 - 2 entries, €10 - 3 entries) Raffle draw this Sat March 23rd at 7pm.

Galway Gardaí are running signed rugby jerseys fundraisers in aid of Little Blue Heroes Charity. 33 Jerseys in total! Entry is via a small donation at www.idonate.ie/RugbyLBH Raffle draw is 7pm Saturday March 23rd.

Hey guys this is a long shot but I've 2 cliona hagan tickets. She's preforming tonight 8pm at the landmark Hotel. If anyone is interested in going please lmk. Remove if this isn't allowed to be posted

Great view of Northern Lights tonight! In North Leitrim.

Hi everyone 😊 I hope you’re all having a lovely week so far!

It is Eating Disorder Awareness Week this week and we are trying to raise awareness for something called orthorexia - which is a disordered eating pattern wherein people become obsessively fixated on “pure” foods. Very little is known about orthorexia in an Irish context which is severely impacting the provision of appropriate care.

I would be very grateful if anyone had a spare 5 minutes to take part in our short survey which is completely anonymous. ANYONE aged 18 or over and living in Ireland can take part - whether you experience eating related issues or not. We are finding it difficult to get the number of participants required (200 more needed!) so your contribution would really make a difference.

You would help us to learn more about something that is vastly under-researched in Ireland which would be very much appreciated.

Link: https://run.pavlovia.org/pavlovia/survey-2024.1.0/?surveyId=a6d32aa0-01bf-4ac8-a051-334cf83786a7

Thanks so much, I really value your time🌻

I'm trying to track down an Irish ancestor of mine, who was allegedly born in Killenummery in the 1830s. Can anyone please point me in the right direction about whom I should contact about accessing birth records? Thanks!