Retailers, publicans and bookies are among the businesses who were rubbing their hands with glee as the Republic of Ireland secured their passage into the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine last night.
While economists have spent recent days dampening down expectations that qualification will do much to lift the country out of its economic gloom, some people at the coal face are a whole lot more optimistic about the months ahead.
Shane O’Connor from O’Connor’s Electronics in Galway said the qualification would make a huge difference to his business next summer and he expressed the belief that it could see television sales rise by as much as 40 per cent as people look into corner at their old boxes and decide to use the tournament as an excuse to upgrade.
“It will undoubtedly give people an lift and give consumer confidence a boost. “Consumers have been terrified to spend money for more than two years now and people are really hurting as a result,” he said.
Mr O’Connor said that the fact that most matches would be shown on Irish terrestrial television stations which can now be accessed through high definition Saorview set-top boxes would see a spike in sales of high-definition televisions in particular.
John Tracey of Crowes Pub in Ballsbridge has been working in the bar trade for more than 20 years and he said qualification would boost pub trade next year by a huge amount, largely because of the timing of the matches which will kick off at 5pm and 7.45pm.
“The World Cup in 2002 in Korea and Japan was, he said, “not that great out because the matches were on at six or seven in the morning. And we might be a nation of big drinkers but we are not that bad” .
He pointed to the “great buzz” around the stadium last night as evidence that the good times were back and he suggested that the arrival of high definition television and vastly improved sound systems would make pubs even more attractive to fans, even the bandwagon jumpers we are likely to see in the coming weeks.
“We’re going to get loads of people cheering for the boys in green shirts and they won’t have a clue who they are but what harm, it will be great for our industry and great for the country. It will give us all a bit of a lift”
Paddy Power of bookmaker fame was as thrilled with the result even if a good run from the Republic will end up costing the bookies money. He said qualification would make a huge difference to bookies all over the country and he said it was likely that around €2.5 million would be placed on Ireland alone in their three group games and “that will snowball if we start to do well”.
He pointed out that if the team is doing well, the bookies will be doing badly but we’ll take that. Paddy Power is already offering odds on Ireland and it’s not particularly encouraging with the Republic at 50/1 to win the tournament. “We are also offering 50/1 on Ireland being drawn with Spain, Italy and Greece. Now that is the real group of debt.”
