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17 Jan 2026

NEWS: Tipperary Tourism 'being held back' due to lack of accommodation within county

Local representatives are sounding the alarm bells about Tipperary’s shortage of tourist accommodation, calling it a pressing issue for the county.

NEWS: Tipperary Tourism 'being held back' due to lack of accommodation within county

Local representatives are sounding the alarm bells about Tipperary’s shortage of tourist accommodation, calling it a pressing issue for the county.

Reporter:

Darragh O’Flynn

17 Jan 2026 9:23 AM

Local representatives are sounding the alarm bells about Tipperary’s shortage of tourist accommodation, calling it a pressing issue for the county.
At their January meeting, Tipperary County Council members listened to a presentation highlighting the county’s tourism scene and recent efforts to attract more visitors.
Tourism activator Mairead Winters and Damien Ginty, the council’s director of economic development, shared updates on Tipperary’s tourism ambitions with the councillors.
Following the presentation, councillors stressed that the lack of accommodation is hurting Tipperary’s ability to welcome and retain tourists.
Fianna Fáil councillor Roger Kennedy said many hotels in the county are now being used for other purposes. He asked if there are any ongoing discussions with hotel providers about opening new hotels in Tipperary.
"One thing that we’re lacking all over County Tipperary is accommodation; we’ve been hit very badly with the amount of accommodation that is being taken from us, particularly in the hotels, and used for accommodating either Ukrainians or International Protection applicants (IPAS),” Cllr Kennedy said.
In Tipperary, Roscrea’s Racket Hall hotel now houses IPAS clients. Dundrum House Hotel, which initially welcomed Ukrainian refugees, has also become an IPAS centre. Both hotels have seen ongoing protests.
"How much is that holding us back?” Cllr Kennedy asked?
"Are there any plans for extra accommodation facilities to be opened in Tipperary, or are there any consultations going on with hotel groups to have extra accommodation in the county?” he asked.
Last year, Lonely Planet named Tipperary among the world’s top destinations for 2026, celebrating its hiking, food, and history. Yet, Fine Gael councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan noted that even finding a venue for a large conference in Tipperary has become a challenge.

"We have a s"We have a serious issue in my own district, Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel, in relation to bednights,” Cllr Hourigan said.nising a function, and I’m looking at Clonmel now because I don't have a hotel in our district that I can bring a large conference to, and I couldn’t get beds in a number of hotels in the county,” she explained.
“Because of the lack of hotels, we’re not holding the people that we’re working so hard to bring in to our county. Coaches are bypassing Tipperary, they’re stopping on the Dublin road to take a picture of the Rock of Cashel, and they’re moving on, they’re not coming to Tipperary,” she added.
In response, Mairead Winters said Tipperary is not alone in facing accommodation shortages.
"It’s not a unique issue to Tipperary, and in terms of conferences as well, we have started to use our academic facilities like TUS Clonmel, for example, for holding large conferences, and they can stay in nearby accommodation,” Ms Winters said.
“In my role as tourism activator, I hold business clinics, and last year I had over 60 business start-ups come to me, and the majority of those were for accommodation development,” she said. Would continue to support accommodation start-ups as part of its long-term tourism strategy."

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