Farmers are suffering this week. Each week there appears to be a different category of people who are 'suffering' as a result of cuts in the economy.
Glanbia has cut its milk price again leading to protests outside the offices in Kilkenny and farmers are at their wits end trying to make ends meet.... joining everyone else!
However, we are an agricultural country - we are renowned for our top quality dairy produce, meat produce, and crops. We have a large proportion of our land-mass devoted to agriculture. Ireland is seen as the 'Emerald Isle' where 'fresh' and 'home-grown' and' home-made' are key words and top sellers. What are we going to do if we don’t have this sales pitch anymore? This is part of the Ireland 'brand' as such. If we lose this branding - what do we have left? One of the dearest countries in the European Union.... that's certainly not going to help in bringing tourists to our recession-ridden country and we are so heavily reliant on tourism. We seem to be killing each other off here!
I've said it before, Kilkenny more than many places, is reliant on tourism and agriculture. If these two industries fail on us - we are left with very little as all else depends on it.
The Government should be seen to be nurturing these industries and doing everything in their power to prevent their demise. Our local government should also be seeing that local farmers are getting a fair deal wherever possible and that tourism is encouraged and sought-after in an aggressive and competitive manner. Farmers have been managing well over recent years as the EU has been generous in subsidies and this has kept many a small farmer in business - however, these subsidies are running out and are not as readily available anymore. Farmers are really feeling it.
Times are changing for all sectors and tourism which is integral to our local economy will suffer unless we become very competitive. For example our hotels should be looking at reducing prices for people visiting, not demanding that people stay for two nights over a weekend rather than just one. This was an indulgence that may have been permitted in Celtic tiger years - but intelligent operators should realise that this is not the way forward in the future.
We have seen some very positive PR for our city over the weekend with the Kilkenny 400 celebrations broadcast on national television. This year Kilkenny can benefit from this celebration if it is handled correctly. But the council should be telling people that this is taking place - outside of Kilkenny!!! Locally we are all going to go and see the parades and the entertainment but the people who don't live here know nothing about it until it happens which is ultimately too late.
Kilkenny needs to be marketed more than ever or our medieval city will become just another city and this would be the saddest outcome of all from this recession. Kilkenny is special and we all know it. As does everyone that comes to visit but we have to entice people here. It is a terrible shame that there are hoardings and concrete and bollards and machinery donning our parade area for the Kilkenny 400 celebrations, as this is what is featuring in all the photographs of our parade of the charter’s last weekend - we won't forget how long this project has taken in a hurry as it will be recorded in all of our photographs of the event.
Another tourist season and our castle is surrounded by bollards. I don’t know how the businesses on the street are coping for the past year - it couldn’t be good for business....
On another note, I thought it was quite intelligent of Batt O' Keeffe to announce that he is not going to introduce college fees - er, sorry, the decision on college fees... prior to the Local Elections - very bright Mr Minister! I wouldn’t either if I were you - it just might be better off from a vote-getting point of view - don’t ya think?!
