St Patrick’s day marks the beginning of the summer season

The St Patrick’s day festivities will begin the holiday season in Donegal and this year it will prove increasingly popular because of sporting events, according to the former General manager of the Great Northern Hotel, Philip McGlynn. 

This week, St Patrick’s day falls on a Friday and people are expected to book into hotels for the entire weekend. Mr McGlynn said people are beginning to really enjoy the atmosphere and hospitality of watching sport on television in hotels and bars.

“People are getting back to normality because for years people didn’t get the chance to socialise and have a good time together. 

“St Patrick’s day is a family event - it will be families who will come to see the parades. It is a fun day for children. You have rugby on Saturday and on Saturday evening and Sunday you have Gaeilge matches. This will be followed by Cheltenham - it marks the beginning of the summer season,” he said. 

An Post has free St Patrick's Day gift

This week, the hotel industry has been criticised in relation to claims of prices increasing ahead of St Patrick's Day. Reports of some Dublin hotels charging up to €2,400 for single rooms has led to fears the price hikes could damage the country's vital tourism industry.

However, Mr McGlynn feels that prices in Dublin will not have a negative impact on the industry in Donegal, he said: “A destination is a destination and it is up to everybody to market their own property and their own place. Coming to stay in Bundoran is totally different to staying in Dublin.”

He said that most people can research where they would like to stay online and decide what amount of money they would like to spend on their hotel stay, he said: “It is up to you to sell it and each person has their own corner to fight. There are certain times of the year that you might not go near New York because it is too expensive and you could say the same thing about London and that is the way it is.”

Dublin prices are driven by events, he said.

“There is always something happening and within the next two years there will be around five thousand extra bed nights in Dublin. There are eight or nine new hotels being built at the moment there is a niche there in the market for it. They are certainly not building these hotel rooms in Dublin if there is no need for them - the price may come down when there is no competition for it,” he said.