It has been a while since we posted blogs, but this weekend, we did a ton of fun sightseeing! To kick off the weekend, we did a local 5k in Downings, which offered us beautiful views, and we were all super excited to support the local community. We then went to the Par 3 golf course in Downings, but half of us actually did what was called Foot Golf. It was essentially soccer on a golf course, and we found it super fun (even though our team lost by just one point). To end out our Saturday, we went to the Downings festival where we did a small scavenger hunt, shopped around, saw the parade, and walked along the beach.
On Sunday, we started early again and drove two hours to see the Sliabh League Cliffs. We ended up walking over two miles to the cliff top and over two miles back down. The views were absolutely stunning, and it was interesting to see the difference between this less-touristy attraction than for say, the Cliffs of Moore. We realized pretty quickly, once we started walking, that this location definitely provides more of an obstacle to reach the destination than a bigger attraction. There are also no direct highways that lead you there, so it sits in a difficult space for a lot of tourists.
Now, today was a bit of a difficult day regarding our schedule because there was a windstorm that did not play in favor of some of our outdoor site visits. We ended up not being able to visit the nursery garden because of the outdoor weather, but we still got a lot of valuable information today! We visited both the Doe Castle and the Glenveagh Castle, which each provided us with a different historical background and context. We also met with the owners of a restaurant and pub nearby that are super successful. The pub actually got ranked Top 10 Pub in Ireland just this past weekend. It was interesting to hear how, even though they are very successful, they still deal with low seasons where they have difficulty keeping a stable platform. It really put into perspective for our project that small businesses and towns aren’t the only ones that struggle. Everyone goes through hardships, and finding the right ways to manage them is what helps build you up and make you successful.
Leaning more into the weather that we faced today, I think it is important to think about how the weather affects businesses. For a business like the nursery/garden we weren’t able to meet with, obviously, that business relies a lot on the outdoors. He wasn’t able to host us, which is a downfall of the weather. Certain conditions do not play in favor of his business, however, when the weather is great, he thrives! This is definitely a struggle that the small town of Carrigart faces regarding tourism, but I believe that they can also use the weather to their benefit in certain situations. For a business like Gteic, the digital hub, they can serve as a space for people to do their work in a cozy space, away from the weather, but also in a professional environment where they can be productive.
Overall, there are definitely pros and cons to certain weather conditions, but finding strategies to maximize business practices during all weather conditions is an important strategy for all businesses to think about.