Two areas of Clare continue to have the highest commercial vacancy rates in the province of Munster.
A new report from data analysis firm GeoDirectory shows both Kilrush and Shannon have among the highest percentage of empty units in the country.
More than a quarter of business premises in Kilrush are vacant according to GeoDirectory, with the town’s vacancy rate now the fourth highest in Ireland.
Shannon’s rate isn’t far behind at 23.9 percent, with both areas in this county seeing a slight increase in the percentage of empty units there in the last 12 months.
Ennis was the other area assessed here and came in at 18.4 percent, which is still a greater rate than a number of other large Munster towns such as Listowel, Thurles and Waterford.
The vacancy rate in all three areas is well above the national and provincial average of 13.5 percent.
Around a third of Kilrush’s retail premises are empty, which is the highest nationwide figure, while this number is around 30 percent in Ennis. Shannon’s is lower at just over 18 percent.
Clare also has the second highest rate of food and accommodation vacancies in the country at 20.7 percent, a number that’s only higher in Kerry.
Overall, there are almost 5,000 occupied business premises across Clare, with this county’s average vacancy rate sitting at just over 15 percent – still above the national average.
