closed...

While driving from Clare back up to Dublin on Monday, I was alarmed by the amount of closed (out-of-business) family owned shops and other empty for-sale commercial buildings I saw along the way, particularly in the small towns. The lashing of the Celtic Tiger’s tail perhaps?

The new Motor-way system and redone main arteries are great to drive on, but I miss all the towns I USED to pass thru on my way throughout most of Ireland. This has to have had a great impact on the above situation. Even in Kinnegad (which has always been a traditional stop for me) had several closed business in a town that did not have that many to begin with. It is now a couple of kilometers off the M4 from my driving perspective...

I guess I could take the now “rural” routes, but in most cases that is not an option as far as I can tell. I do drive off when I can. Maybe one day, much as we have in the States, business will start to bulk up near the main arteries and exits although it does not look like there is much room to do so on the handful of exits I did take. And more likely than not, it won’t be the mom/pops which will fill the need...

Maybe its just part of my “imagined notion” of what Ireland is versus what it is. (I sometimes jokingly - only codding like - refer to Ireland as “Euroland”)...

Will mull this over a bit and get back to you on Tuesday (as the contractor joke goes) but I won’t say which Tuesday...
 

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