Shoppers in Irish Republic told to serve their country
Bargain-hunters urged to spend in Republic rather than cross border for cheap goods
Friday, 28 November 2008
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Until the other day, it was regarded as harmless to nip across the Irish border to pick up a bargain. Now suddenly it is being denounced as "the ultimate act of patriotic sabotage".
A heated battle between patriotism and the purse is breaking out in the Irish Republic as the Irish government struggles to overcome its greatest economic challenge in decades.
And things are so bad in southern Ireland that those who motor into Northern Ireland to shop are being publicly pressurised to confine their purchases to their own jurisdiction.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Eibhlin Byrne is among those urging an exercise of "civic patriotism" and asking people not to cross the border to pick up Christmas bargains.
She declared yesterday: "These are critical times. People need to be aware that when they make the decision to go north they are taking their spending out of the city and there will be repercussions."
So far, such appeals have had little visible effect, since the signs are that more southerners than ever are making their way north since the collapse in the value of sterling against the euro.
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan described the loss of revenue as huge, saying that the practice of buying in the north had made things "very, very difficult" when he was framing his recent budget. That increase was highly visible at the weekend in the border shopping city of Newry in County Down. Its car parks were overwhelmed by the number of vehicles from the Republic, causing gridlock and a six-mile tailback.
The city has always been a popular venue for shopping southerners but now up to 50 per cent of its customers are cross-border shoppers.
In the past, they have come primarily for alcohol but now shoppers also buy groceries and baby goods, which are also significantly less expensive, and a wide range of other goods.
Just yesterday one of the Republic's biggest stores placed large newspaper advertisements announcing that it was slashing the price of alcoholic drinks.
Yet even the new lower prices are still much higher than the northern price. A litre bottle of Powers whiskey – which ironically is produced in the Republic – costs almost £4 less north of the border.
Southerners are commonly to be seen loading large amounts of drink into their vehicles, which has contributed to the closure of large numbers of southern pubs in recent years.
The incentive to make the northern trek may grow next week when prices go down further as a result of the UK-wide decrease in VAT. According to senior southern economist Jim Power: "The trend of people going north is the ultimate act of patriotic sabotage. While consumers may believe that they're saving money by travelling further for goods and services, they are shooting themselves in the foot.
"This is putting severe pressure on the livelihood of many families in communities nationwide."
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51 Comments
there was no uproar when the people from the north went to the south for years to buy goods. they had NO bother taking the pound.what goes around comes around
Posted by jo | 16.02.09, 12:08 GMT
"The European Union is the world’s biggest trader, accounting for 20% of global imports and exports. Free trade among its members underpinned the launch of the EU 50 years ago."
An easy copy and paste from a quick google search on European free trade. Its not high politics its simple looking at the bigger picture.
Irish people and Northern Irish people should grow up, stop wasting time slinging mud at each other accross the border, and think globally.
Posted by jane | 02.12.08, 13:10 GMT
Well done BT for your channels for this debate. I'm from Co Down and live and work in Dublin, traveling regularly back home. I'm in Dublin two years, and although the pay structure has its advantage from the North, I find the diversity in Dublin for more obvious than that of smaller cities. Its great to see the little city of Belfast's showing its same appeal as most smaller cities as the rest of Ireland. The only good thing that came of the troubles is that of the freshness it has brought and now the peace and hospitality that has always been under lying is finally shining through. They say money is the root of all evil, in this case its bringing people together by spending less! Less evil more happiness, thank god for the resession, only the greedy one's will face there earned misery. G
Posted by G | 02.12.08, 00:22 GMT
I travelled to Belfast yesterday to see the new Victoria Square,its a fine development but the streets surrounding it let it down. Belfast has improved a lot over the years but Dublin has so much more to offer the visitor.The media have overhyped the flux over consumers crossing the border, its been happening for the last few years were shoppers hop over to buy their alcohol and groceries for the festive period.Only for the recession you wouldnt hear about it.I noticed the price of clothes were pretty much the same.
If retail was suffering so bad in Dublin you d wonder why a new Zara, H&M and Tommy Hilfiger just opened of Grafton St., Arnotts are planning a 1 billion redevelopment and a huge shoppind development is planned for the Carlton site on Lower O Connell St.The Pavillions in Swords is planning phase 3 with House of Frazer and M&S.
People are entitled to shop were they want and to describe people as unpatriotic for shopping in the North is embarrasing.
Posted by shane | 01.12.08, 21:46 GMT
I took a day off work on friday to travelk up to Belfast and am I glad I did. Everywhere we went we were welcomed...in fact most people went out of their way to tell us where the real bargains where i.e. where the good people of the North shop themselves. There is a real sense of comradarie amongst shoppers these days and it's for one reason only....we're all in this together (as the High School Musical song goes). You, me, them...we all have to look after our families and make the money stretch as far as it will go and right now up North it goes further. Sin é!
Posted by Glenda | 01.12.08, 14:01 GMT
Do the Belfast Telegraph know that there is more than one border crossing - every article talks about Newry. The traders in Derry, Omagh, Strabane, Enniskillen, Armagh and even Craigavon are benefitting from this!
Posted by Border Hopper | 01.12.08, 13:50 GMT
I'm not surprised by this really. I have had friends from Portugal and the USA go on long weekend trips to Dublin recently only to complain to me that they found Dublin ridiculously expensive with poor customer service. When I respond with "you should have gone north" they remark that they probably now will do so knowing what they know now. But is NI ready to make the most of this economic tourism? Seems like NITB and the Assembly need to up their game and get things right to ensure we have these visitors return. I live in London and return home from time to time. Belfast is so impressive now. It really has it all. The interest from English people is obvious to me. Belfast needs to be marketed better in places like London. People are now curious, and some good advertising would help.
Posted by Conal Stewart | 01.12.08, 12:20 GMT
As a man living near Belfast I would have to say that its ridiculous of the Irish Government to suggest that its people are being unpatriotic by coming north at the moment to spend in the uk.The same polititians can afford to spend their wages in southern ireland because they have big fat wallets,something which the ordinary man and women does not have in these difficult times.
I would welcome any visitor to Northern ireland, we are a society which has changed for the better and Belfast is a great and vibrant city to be in at this time of the year.I am heading to Dublin this week for a day trip but because its so expensive i doubt i will be spending much, great city as it is.
What are the Irish government going to do next? announce that the Enterprise only goes as far as Dundalk !
Posted by Andy | 01.12.08, 00:47 GMT
nigel69 i could not have put it any better myself its because of her and people like her that there is a n ireland. Her resignation should be forthcoming after such a stupid remark.
Posted by mick | 30.11.08, 18:33 GMT
So it is now unpatriotic for the "people" of the Republic of Ireland to cross the Irish border and buy something from a store in Northern Ireland, I wonder would Mary McAleese be unpatriotic if she was to come up the road home and buy a candle out of a Catholic missionary store. Do people who live in Northern Ireland who hold Irish passports now have to cross the border and buy goods from the Republic, and if they don't do they have to surrender their Irish passports to the Mayor of Dublin and the Finance Minister (I know where I would like to put/stick my Irish passport). Does it also mean that no one is allowed to purchase Airline tickets from Aer Lingus in Belfast or elsewhere in Northern Ireland, are these people actually asking people to boycott their own semi National airline as part of their civic patriotic duty. There are plenty of raised eyebrows up here in Northern Ireland about this one as many a Family from here has travelled to Dublin to shop.
Posted by Aghast | 30.11.08, 06:07 GMT
I wonder would the mayor tell us what her salary is,as she does not have the need to seek lower prices.The citizens she is preaching to do it out of necessity
Posted by PD Whistle | 30.11.08, 01:17 GMT
I'd just like to welcome everyone from the Republic to visit Northern Ireland; if you've never been, its a great part of Ireland, you'll have a great time!
I work two days a week in Dublin, so I know that the vast majority of people in the Republic have never crossed the border, but you should!
I was out in Dublin last week, a pint of Guinness was €6 (£5.40), last night in Belfast the average pint of Guinness in town was £2.80 (€3.20). My night out in Dublin cost me near €200 (£170) whereas I went out at 7PM last night and drank until 2AM & still had change from £100 when I got home?
So here's my plan, you can nip up to Belfast, stay in a good hotel for £80, have a top night out, wake up with a stonking hangover, do the shopping on the way home and still save money!!!
Trust me, I have bought my diesel south of the border for years when the Euro was strong against Sterling and spent many weekends in Donegal, Sligo and Dublin, and I loved it!!
Sod the politicians!
Posted by Steven | 30.11.08, 00:40 GMT
patriotism stops at the checkbook
Posted by jc | 29.11.08, 16:48 GMT
Funny how patriotism changes depending on your exchange rate.
I go away for a few years and yet again attitudes change.
Money talks eh?
Posted by Ricardo79 | 29.11.08, 14:19 GMT
I just think it is great to see people of all backgrounds, from all parts of the Ireland, agreeing on this issue. I guess we are not all that different after all.
I would also like to add that going north is not just about shopping. It is also a beautiful place with great, welcoming people. Surely Cowen and Co. should be encouraging this.
Posted by Alan, Dublin | 29.11.08, 14:13 GMT
Does the Irish Government forget about the the four freedoms enshrined in EU law. No. 1 Free Movement of Goods and No.2 Free Movement of Persons.
Wake up and smell the coffee Jim Power. Where the buck stops in this case Mr Power is in the cash registers of shopping malls in Newry, Belfast, Craigavon, Lisburn, and Enniskillen.
Whats that I hear Mr Power. ching ching. 'The penny drops'
Posted by Student Uni | 29.11.08, 11:27 GMT
Its really funny that the Irish Government in Dublin claims to represent all the people in Ireland including Northern Ireland.
But when retailers in Northern Ireland are doing a roaring trade from shoppers from Southern Ireland. The Dublin government are the first to adopt a very 'us and them' partitionist mindset, because of the fact that customers in the ROI have been robbed blind for years by over inflated prices.
The Celtic Tiger roars.
Posted by DGN Man | 29.11.08, 11:00 GMT
It's not only groceries that are much cheaper - its' cars too. The price of cars in the north is unbelievable, even when you pay the VRT. Well worth a trip of an hour or two if you're going to save thousands
Posted by Sandra | 29.11.08, 10:38 GMT
Patriotism? Can my kids eat that?
Posted by Seamus, Dublin | 29.11.08, 10:20 GMT
Oh well , I suppose it's swing's and roundabouts's , now that the British Goverment own's nearly all the bank's , wheres the profit going , will we " In Britain " get cheaper mortgages , I fear not will anything get cheaper No! , theres only two secure job's left on the Island Debt Collector's and Undertaker's , so buckle down and strugle with it .
Posted by SAIGEADOIR COLLAC ABU | 29.11.08, 00:48 GMT
51 Comments