Sir, – My wife and I have just returned from a break on Ireland’s west coast. Due to a set of unique circumstances we had to take the pooch with us – a small pedigree poodle and, post Brexit, quite an expensive exercise to obtain the necessary animal health certificate documentation for travel which only lasts for a single EU visit.
As relatively new dog owners, we were broadly aware that Ireland was not the most dog-friendly nation on earth. Finding hotels prepared to accept a pooch was time consuming, but we persevered. But what we were not expecting was the sheer hostility exercised by some hospitality owners directed towards us for having the temerity to bring a dog on to pub and eating premises.
Rosslare Harbour was a nightmare. At a pub we were ushered into a stinking smokers’ den, and in another establishment a black-dressed doorman, whose behaviour was more akin to a nightclub bouncer, proudly informed us that you can’t take a dog on to the premises. When gently reminded of the changes to legislation since 2017 he became extremely agitated saying we don’t want your custom.
Fortunately, our experiences of the Burren and Galway Bay, with its outstanding eco-tourism credentials, were far removed.
There were still a few establishments that were not dog-friendly, but the vast majority of attractions and eating and drinking places were extremely welcoming to dog owners.
Sitting and enjoying an evening pint (with dog on lap) in Ballyvaghan’s O’Loclainn Whiskey Bar an erudite and well-travelled gentleman offered a comment on the country’s current dog malaise.
It was all part of Ireland coming to terms with notions of animal welfare, he ventured, and dogs on pub premises were part of a legacy overhang, “not much help to you guys coming here on holiday but we’re working on it”.
I’m sure Tourism Ireland will want to pour over the characteristics and demographics of Britain’s dog-owning cohort which is very substantial amongst a well-heeled tourism generating class; aside visiting family and relatives GB is still Ireland’s biggest visitor source market and vital for the post-Covid national tourism recovery plan.
It gets a tad tiresome listening to the harangue for not letting a small well-behaved dog on to commercial premises – a mistaken overreach of food security, health and safety reasons, and owners’ indifference, prejudice, and ignorance.
Being made to feel a second-class citizen merely for possessing a pooch is not a great advertisement for Ireland’s shop window.
– Yours, etc,
MARTYN PRING,
Swanage,
Dorset, UK.