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FIGURES RELEASED TODAY from the Society of the Irish Industry (SIMI) show that car sales in February were down 8 per cent on the same month last year. For the year in total, sales are down 15 per cent but sales of heavy commercial vehicles were up 16 per cent last month.
Light commercial vehicles were down 18 per cent and sales of passenger cars are down from 17,237 in January to 10,617 last month.
The top selling car make was Volkswagen, followed by Ford and Toyota. The Nissan Qashqai was the top selling car model with the Volkswaen Golf and Ford Focus coming second and third.
The most popular car colour was black at 23 per cent with silver and grey following close behind.
(If you have trouble viewing this image, click here.)
94 per cent of cars sold so far this year fall in the two lowest CO2 emission categories, 26 per cent sold were petrol and 74 per cent were diesel.
Commenting on the figures today, deputy general director of SIMI Brian Cooke said that while sales fell in February, the decline was “significantly less than it had been in January.
“We weren’t expecting any significant boost from the new number plate system in year one, but at least people now understand that the new system will be continued in future years and the misconception that it was for this year only has dissipated,” he said.
“We still however expect the new registration plate to take some time to take hold, and hopefully it will continue to create interest as more and more of the new plates are seen on the roads. Clearly sales in March will be closely watched as the first quarter will be crucial as to how the year pans out.”
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I think the photo says it all. We just had the wettest June on record. Would you come here?
What tourist travels to Ireland for the weather?
Very narrow minded. Do I really have to explain it. You obviously come to Ireland for reasons other than the weather but you can’t enjoy any of it because of the weather.
So Ireland gets 6 million plus tourists a year and they are all very narrow minded, in your words?? Get real
Not them. You.
I bet you are on the dole.
See what I mean, narrow minded. Actually I run 2 businesses have 6 staff and going on a sun holiday somewhere sunny. I’ll send you a postcard.
The 1st thing narrow minded people do when proved wrong is to get abusive as it’s all they have left to do.
Look at the photo again.. Clearly those wee girls are not trying to sunbathe. They want to play in the sand but can’t because of the weather. This was the original point I was making that you decided to contradict. Tell me I’m wrong.
Yeah Right, Im not getting abusive, bitter people normally slag things off put things down. Like to moan about everything. Does that remind you of someone? Ireland gets 6 million tourists a year and they don’t visit the country for the weather………
I already said that. Good day to you Sir. I have cheques to cash.
So you are wrong with your first comment, 6 million plus people visit Ireland every year and not for the weather as i stated in my first comment….. Enjoy your trip….
@Mark, you got owned
Mark, I think your dole comment was a huge turning point in that one. stayclassy lol
Its not a competition to me David, im not that childish, my point is over 6 million people visit Ireland every year and it is not for the weather as i stated in my first comment………
I agree Rommel, if i could delete it i would, you just get bored of all the moaning and negativity from some people. With attitudes like that Ireland will never recover. The amount of Irish people over here in London slagging off the country is terrible. I think Ireland is a great country its just a shame some Irish people don’t. No wonder the tourists are not coming eh.
Ireland is great regardless of the weather.
Game, Set & Match Resel….
I think I’d want to do more than delete it to be honest. It’s offensive to say the least.
Thanks guys for voicing your support. I have not been using this app for very long but have found no matter what comment you put up there will be ones who slate you. Different folks, different strokes I guess.
Its offensive when Irish people moan and complain about Ireland and slag the place off in London and im sure Oz and Canada, it doesn’t help ireland. Then you have people in Ireland doing the same. What hope have you got……………..
Mark are you that stupid that you keep coming back for more?!!! Resel took a baseball bat to your 1st comment then ran over the rest with a freight train !!! Best put down I’ve ever seen !!! Your dole comment was ignorant as is your ability to sustain an intelligent argument. Have a nice weekend I’m off to find Resel to buy him a pint.
Or her …..???!!! ( sorry Resel)!!! ;)
I suggest you read my first comment again John, and i stand by it, you tell me what tourist travels to Ireland for the weather??? The only stupid people i see are the ones that put Ireland down, have so many negative things to say about the place. I love Ireland and cannot understand why people slag the place off whether it is Irish in London or Irish in Ireland.
No Mark, it was your nasty dole comment that puts your view in the trash. Forgive me if you expect me to take you seriously after that. Shame on you. There are good people on the dole. Not their fault.
John what you say or think means jack to me. Don’t be soft…………….
Clearly it means a lot to you Mark otherwise you wouldn’t keep replying ?!! I’d say you are one of those guys who touches the wall that has the wet paint sign, just to see are they lying …..
Ohh John you need to get out more mister……….lol
Mark your parents should have taught you when to stop digging…
Thanks John. I am well n truly male. I am a photographer from Galway. I am wondering have I met you. For the record I love Ireland despite the weather.
I tried a holiday at home last week in Dingle with the kids. The weather was…..well we all know that one. But what I didn’t realise was how expensive all the other stuff is. Everything you do with two kids is at least €40, eg boat trip 40. Then aquarium 45, the aquadome 45, ad bloody nauseum. Eating out was too dear and quality variable to say the least. If only it didn’t cost so much to get out of here!
It is expensive alright for entry and eating out….
I can relate to that. Just had a similar experience.
@ Gingerman.. Thank god for a decent comment finally!! First we have Mark & Resel going at it full whack then we have Mr John Murphy asking Resel out for a pint.. FFS!!! move along please and find some little corner for yerselves to sort it out and stop boring JOURNAL readers with this crack ok???!!
Friends of mine went to Trabolgen for 4 days two adults and two kids self catering basis.€760.Sorry that is not value or a reason to holiday in this country.Hotels have come down somewhat,but alot of business in the tourism sector still think the celtic tiger is alive and well.
I was in Dublin a few weeks back and it was packed with tourists from everywhere. Maybe country towns are suffering alot more.
But but…. I thought Lizzie’s 10+ million euro visit was going to have the Brits swarming to Ireland?
It was €20 million and there was supposed to be “a massive boost for tourism” as a result. All it was was a love in for the sycophantic Blueshirts who fawned at Her Awesomeness and fell over themselves to get a photo of themselves with Her Majesty. The Hello magazine brigade heaped abuse on anybody who said that a one day trip would have been enough and that the rest was a waste of money and would yield nothing in terms of tourist figures have gone fairly quiet now!
Hotels, visitor attractions, restaurants, pubs, etc are all too expensive.
Rip off Ireland is alive & well, that’s the main problem…!!!
Holidaying at home is lovely if there is weather. We have very few indoor attractions. I think too that the tourist sector need to bear in mind that an Irish person holidaying in Ireland should be considered a ‘tourist ‘ too. I have seen hotels and restaurants fawning over Americans and Germans and being much less helpful to the Irish holidaymaker. We also need to learn to cherish our irishness despite the weather and the economy. We can attract tourists here but we need to up our game and impress them .. We need to clean our streets , spend less time drunk and vomiting all over them , stop charging 3 euro for a pot of tea etc. We lost it in the tiger years. We need to fight for our identity harder than ever.
Week before volvo race, I had to pay €189 for a hotel room in Galway. nCeltic tiger prices in a recession. Start there.
During the volvo race my parents paid €45 each per night for a hotel room. You were robbed!
@Mark, If Ireland is so great, why are you in London?
I was born here Gillian, i visit Ireland because i like the country
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