There has been a dramatic slump in footfall in Dublin city centre this year, as changed work patterns, more online shopping and bad weather combine to keep the public away. O’Connell Street is particularly affected, with the footfall count outside both Clery’s and Eason’s stores showing dramatic declines. “When we see yellow and orange weather warnings, footfall takes an immediate hit as consumers defer non-essential trips. We’ve definitely seen a change in dynamic.”The total number of visitors to Dublin city centre this year stood at 9.7m on February 8, which was almost 7pc down on the same time last year. The comparison between footfall figures now and pre-Covid shows Saturday and Sunday are only down slightly, usually by about 3pc.

Source: Irish Independent February 19, 2026 14:33 UTC