Rossnowlagh, bit of a kip?

DrPhilG

I spent my summers at Rossnowlagh as a wee fella. Staying in the cheapo caravans, kicking a ball around the grass, playing on the beach and spending every spare penny in the amusements.

Is it just my foggy rose tinted view of my childhood, or is Rossnowlagh a bit of a hole these days?

Phenomenal beach, lots of nice housing popping up, yet there's bugger all there. The hotel is dingy, the amusements are long gone, the shop seems pretty crappy compared to what I remember as a child. Smuggler's up on the hill still seems good but there's damn all else.

When you compare it to the likes of Portrush up north, it really is sparse in terms of amenities for a beach location.

ednwireland

the seasons just not long enough for cafes and restaurants and shops to pop up and be able to make money, people in holiday homes and mobile homes tend to bring their stuff with them.

like you say lovely beach but damn all else

not sure why portrush does better though ! (maybe an hour or so form belfast helps? )

L1011

Portrush is bigger, on a train line to Belfast etc - but it also goes through phases of being quite grim. Huge burnt out B&B/hotel by the PSNI barracks for years comes to mind; lots of dereliction and some extremely kippy 1/2* hotels.

slimboyfat

You think Rossnowlagh is bad, whatever you do, don't go to Bundoran!

Ave Sodalis

I never really understood the mass appeal of Rossnowlagh, but it's a stretch to say it's a kip. It's clean, it's easy to get to, it doesn't really have the abandoned feel a lot of seasonal places do during down times, the friary is nice for a walk around, the new bakery there is lovely, Smugglers is great, the surfing is ideal for beginners and novices and people just wanting to have fun in the water, the beach is lovely, and you can see the whole way along to Sliabh Liag from the cliffs.

During off seasons and on bad days, I'd often go that way instead of the main road. Sunny days, summer days and certain weekends, I'd avoid the place like the plague but I hate crowded beaches and think we have more than enough nicer and quieter beaches to choose from that I don't need to go out of my way to go there.

DrPhilG

slimboyfat wrote: »

You think Rossnowlagh is bad, whatever you do, don't go to Bundoran!

Oh I've been there, and it's definitely rough. But at least there is life. Amusements, restaurants etc.

Rossnowlagh just seems abandoned. Seemed way more vibrant when I was a nipper.

kippy

DrPhilG wrote: »

I spent my summers at Rossnowlagh as a wee fella. Staying in the cheapo caravans, kicking a ball around the grass, playing on the beach and spending every spare penny in the amusements.

Is it just my foggy rose tinted view of my childhood, or is Rossnowlagh a bit of a hole these days?

Phenomenal beach, lots of nice housing popping up, yet there's bugger all there. The hotel is dingy, the amusements are long gone, the shop seems pretty crappy compared to what I remember as a child. Smuggler's up on the hill still seems good but there's damn all else.

When you compare it to the likes of Portrush up north, it really is sparse in terms of amenities for a beach location.

Anywhere with an easily accessible clean beach is a great spot - anything else at the location that adds a bit too it without being tacky etc is a positve.

muffler

Maybe people enjoy it the way it is - free from yobs drinking pints and having rows on the nearby street etc. Its an isolated beach and one that will attract families on day trips as opposed to to having the social problems that the likes of Bundoran experience.

DrPhilG

Maybe so. I just wondered why it has seemed to get more desolate than it was 30 years ago.

I suppose more folk are holidaying abroad than back then.

I'm not suggesting that they build a night club and a brothel lol, but a decent sized supermarket, a few more restaurant options and an amusement arcade wouldn't go amiss.

BraveDonut

I hate all of the cars parked on it.

Cooled1

muffler wrote: »

Maybe people enjoy it the way it is - free from yobs drinking pints and having rows on the nearby street etc. Its an isolated beach and one that will attract families on day trips as opposed to to having the social problems that the likes of Bundoran experience.

What social problems does Bundoran have?

Firblog

BraveDonut wrote: »

I hate all of the cars parked on it.

Cannot figure out why they are allowed park on it; build a car park well back from the beach a drop off point nearer to it, and let the able bodied people walk a bit after parking up.