Spending in Dublin dropped 'dramatically' after riots, analysis finds
James Cox
Spending in Dublin city centre fell "dramatically" on Black Friday, the day after the riots, according to Bank of Ireland analysis.
On Friday, November 24th, spending fell "dramatically", while it was "significantly impacted" on both Saturday and Sunday.
An analysis of in-person spending on Bank of Ireland debit and credit cards in Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 for Friday showed spending almost halved compared with the same day – Black Friday – in 2022.
- In-person card spend on Black Friday in the city centre was down 46 per cent when compared to Black Friday 2022.
- In-person card spend on Saturday (November 25th) was down 27 per cent when compared to the equivalent Saturday in 2022.
- In-person card spend on Sunday (November 26th) was also down 27 per cent when compared to the equivalent Sunday in 2022.
Susan Russell, chief executive of Bank of Ireland Retail Ireland, said: “Our thoughts are with those injured and affected by last Thursday’s appalling events, especially the children and their carer at Parnell Square, the members of An Garda Síochána who worked to protect the city during the night, and communities and businesses in Dublin City.
“This violence hurt Dublin. It was bad for everyone who lives, works, studies, visits, and does business in the city."
Ms Russell added: “We’ve been doing business in Dublin for 240 years, and today we have thousands of customers and colleagues in the city centre.
“This year we’re especially proud to be part of Dublin City Council’s Dublin Winter Lights initiative. This will see our College Green building lighting up spectacularly during December, along with some of the city’s other landmark buildings. Dublin is a great European city, and I hope as many people as possible visit over the coming month.”