Mayo’s Sam Maguire homecoming tour sparks spending spree
Scenes at the Ballyhaunis homecoming
Mayo’s All-Ireland Final win and homecoming tour led to a spending bonanza in the county.
The Bank of Ireland Spending Pulse analysing debit and credit card spending reveals that Mayo’s All-Ireland Football final victory led to significant spending across Mayo from Sunday, 26 July to Sunday, 2 August.
Over the past week, Mayo footballers and supporters continued with homecoming celebrations, travelling through towns and villages throughout the county.
As previously reported, spending in Castlebar pubs surged by more than 1,000% on the All-Ireland final weekend itself, while new Spending Pulse data examining the wider period from 26 July to 2 August shows pub spending was more than two-and-a-half times higher in Castlebar (+168%) and more than double in Westport (+120%) compared to the same period last year.
Restaurants fed the hungry supporters with spending increases in Castlebar (+59%) and Westport (+34%) across 26 July to 2 August comparative to the same week last year.
The celebrations also boosted spending in supermarkets, with transactions across Mayo up 90% compared to the same period last year.
Owen Clifford, Head of Retail Sector, Bank of Ireland said: “The week-long celebrations across Mayo highlight the positive societal impact of sporting occasions on communities and businesses. The Spending Pulse data demonstrates the real time impact on the hospitality and retail sector. From 26 July to 2 August, as supporters came out to greet Sam Maguire on his tour of Mayo, the spending trends balanced out across the county, with smaller towns and villages benefiting from these unique celebrations.”
