A renter in a tourist town in County Clare has said he “feels” anger about the number of rural homes rented out on Airbnb. 

Corkman Rob O’Sullivan was living quite happily in his native county when his landlord got in touch with some bad news - his son was coming home and he needed the property. 

Mr O’Sullivan’s former home was sold just a few months later and is now being let out on Airbnb for thousands every month. 

With so few rental properties available in Cork, Mr O’Sullivan and his partner feel the housing crisis “pushed us out to County Clare”. 

Despite this, he hopes to one day return to the Rebel County and feels the River Lee is the “blood flowing through my veins”

They settled in the coastal town of Kilrush but assumed their stay would only be temporary. 

“When we first moved, we kind of kept to ourselves a little bit because we were so intent on moving home that we didn't want to break our hearts a little bit by getting to know a new community and having to leave everybody behind again,” he explained on The Claire Byrne Show. 

“We've been through that time and time again, with the rental crisis and it gets exhausting after a while, constantly putting down roots and saying goodbye to people.

“But after a year, it became pretty obvious that we weren't getting back to Cork anytime soon. 

“So, we threw ourselves into it and the people of Kilrush have been very, very welcoming.” 

Cars driving on a road entering Lahinch in county Clare in Ireland with signposts for the Cliffs of Moher, Kilrush and the Wild Atlantic Way. Picture by: Alamy.com.

While the town is picturesque, Mr O’Sullivan said there are pockets of “pretty extreme deprivation” and a large number of holiday homes which are empty for most of the year. 

Given the severity of the housing crisis, Mr O’Sullivan is shocked that so many people opposed the Government’s efforts to convert short-term lets into rental properties. 

“I'm angry at the disproportionate weight we've given to this one industry,” he said. 

“But there are, by Fáilte Ireland's estimates, 12,000 houses that could be brought back into use - when we have more than 17,000 people homeless,” he said. 

“I'm angry at the consistent framing that any ‘attack’ on the Irish tourist industry is an attack on rural Ireland - when this industry doesn't dominate the rural economy. 

“I believe that the people who are living and working in rural Ireland and contributing to the economy on a consistent basis are more valuable to the economy.” 

With so many people in rural Ireland struggling to find a home - or leaving altogether - Mr O’Sullivan said seeing a property let out to tourists leaves him feeling extremely emotional. 

“Every time I see one of those lockboxes on the wall, I just think that's one more family that's not living there,” he said. 

“That's one more nurse who's not working in the local hospital, it’s one more person like myself who contributes to the chess club for the kids. 

“There are people who aren't in the GAA; all I'm seeing is the missing people.”

Main image: Rob O'Sullivan.