Cavan appears to be Ireland’s most romantic county, with consumers there spending 126% more on romantic items this Valentine’s Day compared to last year, according to Bank of Ireland’s Spending Pulse. Lovebirds across Ireland purchased romantic gifts, with spending hikes on Spa breaks (+62%), Grooming & Beauty (+58%), Jewellery (+47%), Chocolates (+46%), and Hotel Breaks (+15%).

While Cavan led the way in Valentine’s Day spending, outlay from residents in Offaly (+49%), Wicklow (+38%), Roscommon (+29%) and Sligo (+29%) on a selection of romantic items all rose on a yearly basis. Things were a little more downbeat on the spending front elsewhere in Ireland, with Waterford residents posting a -35% decline in Valentine’s spending, and consumers in counties such as Leitrim (-28%), Kildare (-19%), Kerry (-18%) and Kilkenny (-12%) bringing up the rear in the race to Ireland’s centre of romance.

Commenting on Bank of Ireland’s Valentine’s Day Spending Pulse, Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland said: “Forget Paris or Rome, Cavan was the place to be for Valentine’s Day this year. Those claiming that romance is dead need only look at Cavan to know that people were happy to splash out on Valentine’s Day. Whether it was a nice bouquet of flowers, a hotel break, or perfume, consumers proved once more that they’re romantics at heart and they’ll go the extra-mile on February 14th.

“Analysis from our digital team also revealed a 3% weekly spike in logins to our digital channels (mobile app, 365online) the day after Valentine’s Day, so people are still keeping a close eye on their financial wellbeing no matter how Cupid continues to fire his arrow!”

Bank of Ireland Business Banking: businessbanking.bankofireland.com

Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking: corporate.bankofireland.com

Contact details

Gerardo Larios Rizo
Head of Hospitality Sector

 087 795 1253
 gerardo.lariosrizo@boi.com