With temperatures set to hit 32 degrees Celsius in the coming days, it’s no wonder people are queuing for what could well be Ireland’s cheapest ice cream cone.
Ice cream sales have skyrocketed due to the recent heat wave and Duffy’s Supervalu in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, sells about 500 a day.
The family-run shop sells an “ice size and flake ice cream” for just 99 cents, which the owners believe is the cheapest cone in the country.
Shop co-owner Kevin Duffy admits that while the low cost is “a bit of a gimmick” and sparks a lot of interest, they can’t keep up with demand and have people queuing at the door.
Before the pandemic, they were selling the much-loved cone for just 50 cents, but this has since risen due to rising costs.
Duffy said, “About six or seven years ago I got a call from my father, John Duffy, asking if we could change the price of 99s from $1.50 to 50c.”
This publicity flooded the store with customers looking for cheap cones. Mr Duffy said their price increase was also due to staff complaining that their arms hurt from pulling so many ice creams a day.
He said they have also recently helped many Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war and settled in their city.
Other ice cream vendors also report an increase in sales.
Wallace’s Costcutter in Wellingtonbridge, Co Wexford, which sells cones for €1.90 each, sells up to 400 a day as sunbathers try to cool off with the refreshing treat.
And they said they expect sales to climb even higher this weekend, when daytime temperatures in some places will remain between 25C and 30C and may even rise to 32C on Monday.
In Mayo, a 99 can be bought in Sweeney’s Supervalu, Achill, for €1.60 where they sell between 40-45 cones a day.
In Cornageeha, Co. Sligo, the Spar sells their 99 cone for €2.60 each and says they sell up to 50 a day.
It comes as Met Éireann has issued a yellow warning of hot weather for the weekend and next week.
The warning will go into effect on Sunday at 6 a.m. and will last until 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, “exceptionally warm weather” will see daytime temperatures in Ireland of 25 to 30 degrees overall and possibly up to 32 degrees on Monday.
Nighttime temperatures will also be warm and humid, with temperatures on Sunday and Monday nights not likely to drop below the mid-teens.
The forecaster issued a yellow weather warning across the country, saying there was a risk of water-related incidents, an impact from heat stress, especially for more vulnerable people, and a high UV index.