Over the weekend, we traveled to several places across Donegal, and weather quickly became a major factor. Storm Floris made landfall, bringing strong winds and rain that delayed and postponed some of our plans. It gave us a taste of true Irish weather, intense and unpredictable. Today especially, the weather made its presence known. When we visited Glenveagh Castle, some of us hiked up a nearby mountain overlooking the area. The winds were so strong they nearly knocked us over. It reminded me of the time when my family and I went to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, another place known for its extreme and sudden shifts in weather, and where some of the fastest recorded wind speeds records are held.
This prompt got me thinking of how does weather like this affect tourism and business in this part of the world? If I were a business owner here in Donegal, I’d definitely have to factor in the impact of weather, especially storms like this one. When harsh weather hits, people stay in. They aren’t going out to shop or interact with the local community. For customers, it’s inconvenient but for business owners, whose livelihood depends on those people coming in, it can be make or break.
Some businesses are hit harder than others. For instance, take the gardening center we were meant to visit. In high winds and heavy rain, it’s pretty unlikely people are going to browse around looking at plants, especially if most of the displays are outdoors. Unless they’ve adapted their space to be indoors or weather-resistant, days like this can be a total loss.
On the other hand, certain businesses can actually lean into the weather and use it to their advantage. Take a golf course, for example. Traditional links-style golf is all about embracing the elements, strong winds and rain. As a golfer, I’d pay to play in those kinds of conditions. It makes you feel like you’re out there battling for the Claret Jug. In that sense, the weather becomes part of the appeal, not a drawback.
But beyond individual businesses, there’s a ripple effect across the whole community. If golfers come to town for that raw, authentic experience, they’re going to need places to stay, eat, and shop. That kind of tourism feeds the local economy and supports more than just the golf course.
All that said, I do think these kinds of natural moments, like almost getting knocked over by wind on top of a mountain, can help shape something meaningful, both for visitors and for locals. Tourists remember experiences like that, such as myself. And for communities, learning to adapt to these conditions can help them create something unique and resilient, something that you can’t replicate anywhere else.
