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.
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 retail coalface are a lot more optimistic about the months ahead.
Shane O’Connor from O’Connor’s Electronics in Galway thought qualification would make a huge difference to his business next summer.
He forecast that it could result in sales rising by as much as 40 per cent as people decide to use the tournament as an excuse to upgrade their televisions.
“It will undoubtedly give people a lift and give consumer confidence, which has been on the floor for years, a boost.”
He said consumers “have been terrified to spend money for more than two years now and people are really hurting as a result”.
John Tracey of Crowe’s Pub in Ballsbridge, Dublin 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, he said, was “not that great out because the matches were on at six or seven in the morning”.
Bookmaker Paddy Power was delighted with the result even if a good run from the Republic could end up costing the bookies money.
He said that qualification would lead to about €2.5 million being 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 was doing well, the bookmakers would be doing badly “but we’ll take that”.
Paddy Power’s odds on Ireland winning the tournament underline the task facing the team. The Republic is quoted at 50/1 to win the championship.
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