Summary of the September Spending Pulse
New data from AIB’s Spend Trend report shows a robust surge in card spending across Ireland in September, with overall outlays rising by 10% year on year. The month highlighted sharp increases in golf, entertainment and tourism, with exhibits also playing a starring role. The insights come from a dataset of 75 million card transactions, offering a detailed lens on consumer behavior as summer fades and the autumn season begins.
Ploughing Championships: A Tourism and Exhibits Catalyst
Key drivers of September’s spending growth were the National Ploughing Championships held in Co Offaly. The event attracted thousands of attendees, and AIB noted that September 16 and 17 marked the biggest selling days of the year for tourism and exhibits. Ticket sales were especially strong from visitors in Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Limerick and Offaly, underscoring the national draw of this world-renowned event. The Ploughing Championships not only showcased rural Ireland’s culture and industry but also contributed to a broader retail and hospitality uptick as visitors spent on accommodation, dining and experiences around the festival.
Golf Spurs Spending Growth Across Clubs and Courses
The month’s golf-related uplift paralleled a string of high-profile performances. Rory McIlroy’s triumph at the Irish Open at The K Club set the stage for a notable spike in golf spend, followed by Team Europe’s Ryder Cup campaigns. In total, golf clubs and courses saw a 10% increase in spending, reflecting strong participation, outings, and spectator activity that contributed to the sector’s revenue in September.
Entertainment, Cinema and Digital Gaming Buzz
Entertainment expenditure surged by 18% for the 12 months to September and rose by 7% month on month. AIB highlighted a significant leap in ticket sales, up 45% year on year, driven by major on-sale events such as Electric Picnic 2026 and The Weeknd’s concerts at Croke Park. Cinema also rode the wave, with outlays 19% higher year on year thanks to popular releases like The Conjuring: Last Rites and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Digital gaming followed suit, recording a 25% year-on-year rise, with young male consumers aged 25-34 accounting for 77% of this category. The month also saw big game releases, including EA Sports FC 26, fueling demand across both physical and digital channels.
Hospitality Takes A Dip, Yet Restaurants Hold Steady
Not all sectors benefited equally. AIB reported a contraction in hospitality spend during September. Hotels saw a 22% month-on-month drop, pubs fell 26%, while overall restaurant spend declined by 14% from August to September. Nevertheless, restaurants still showed a 6% increase over the trailing 12 months, indicating a mixed bag within hospitality as consumers re-balance after summer holidays and back-to-school schedules. The regional picture varied, with the sharpest declines observed in Kerry (20%), and Wexford and Donegal (both down 19%).
What the Spending Trends Mean for Businesses
Busineses can glean several actionable lessons from AIB’s September data. First, major events like the Ploughing Championships act as powerful traffic drivers, creating short-term spikes in tourism-related spending and long-tail benefits for retailers and hospitality operators in the regions. Second, the convergence of sport, music and cinema on high-demand release windows reinforces the importance of timely product launches and ticketing strategies. Finally, the data suggests a continued appetite for entertainment and digital gaming among younger adults, offering targeted opportunities for marketers and merchants.
About AIB’s Spend Trend Data
AIB notes that the September dataset is anonymised and aggregated to protect customer privacy while delivering one of the most comprehensive looks at consumer spending in Ireland. The bank emphasizes the value of such granular insights for helping businesses understand evolving customer behaviours and plan effectively for peak shopping periods and seasonal campaigns.
Executive Insight
Adrian Moynihan, Head of Consumer at AIB, commented: “September is a busy month as people return from holidays and re-engage with everyday spending. AIB’s robust data provides unique insights into customer spend patterns and helps businesses tailor their activities to the realities of consumer behavior.”
Conclusion
As September closes, the combination of the National Ploughing Championships, high-profile golf events, and strong entertainment demand created a vivid snapshot of Irish consumer activity. Businesses across tourism, events, and entertainment can harness these insights to optimize promotions, ticketing, and hospitality offerings in the months ahead.
