Businesses back new gift card for Buncrana set to generate €500,000 in

A group of businesses in Buncrana are joining together to launch a new physical and digital gift card for the town in a bid to lock €500,000 into Buncrana in the first year.

The Visit Buncrana Gift Card is being led by Buncrana Businesses Together as an upgrade to their paper vouchers which were introduced in 2025 and generated over €100,000 revenue for the town in 9 months.

Funded by 10 key businesses in the town; Beyond Light Therapy, Callaghan Jewellers, Coyles Homevalue, Healthwise Tierney’s Pharmacy,HML Plant Hire and Construction, Inishowen Gateway Hotel, Lake Of Shadows Hotel, McDaids Bathroom Plumbing and Tiles, McKennas Londis Filling Station and PD Plumbing Supplies, the forthcoming Buncrana Gift Card will be accepted by over 60 Buncrana businesses, including shops, restaurants, hotels, pubs and services, making it suitable for locals and visitors alike.

Set to launch in the autumn, the Buncrana Businesses Together Gift Card will be purchased locally and online. Additionally, local employers will be able to use the gift card for employee bonuses to staff, tax free, using the Small Benefit Exemption which allows up to €1,500 to be given to each employee, each year, across up to five incentives

Donegal County Council’s night-time economy advisor, is collaborating with Buncrana Businesses Together on the forthcoming VisitBuncrana Gift Card as part of a new vision for Buncrana. The town is the smallest of 9 Irish places selected to participate in a night-time economy pilot funded by the Department for Culture, Communications & Sport, aimed at revitalising and expanding the town’s night time economy.

Paul Brogan, owner of Food For Thought in Buncrana, was instrumental in the formation of Buncrana Businesses Together and the paper vouchers. Paul said: “Buncrana is a vibrant, welcoming community where everyone works together. There is real pride in Buncrana and this was at the heart of setting up Buncrana Businesses Together and our paper vouchers. The vouchers have brought in €100,000 in local spend so far at a time when businesses needed real support but there was lots of work involved in the paper vouchers.

“When the Buncrana night-time initiative approached us about setting up a high-tech physical and digital Visit Buncrana Gift Card, it was a no-brainer. Our new Visit Buncrana Gift Card will be secure, convenient and easy to use. We have a €500,000 target for the card in the first year, ringfenced into our economy for the benefit of our businesses but the sky is the limit. Buncrana is on the up and the gift card will play a big part of our success as a town. We’re in it together.”

Sophie Gallagher, night-time economy advisor Buncrana for Donegal County Council, said: “We’ve had some big wins for Buncrana through the night-time economy pilot, including a 66% increase in evening programming for the local cinema, the One @ One night bus, and an array of night-time events for a range of ages. Buncrana has so much to offer for locals and tourists alike. Once launched, this giftcard will be able to be used at any time of day or night; we believe it will be a key driver for the town to maintain a strong night-time economy, and hopefully will give hospitality and night-time traders a much-needed boost.

“The Visit Buncrana Gift Card will be a welcome addition to help people experience all the town has to offer, and credit is due to thosebusinesses who have funded this initiative through Buncrana Businesses Together. This initiative proves the benefit of business collaboration for the future of the town.”

Jack of family owned Callaghan Jewellers in Buncrana is another of the businesses funding the forthcoming Visit Buncrana Gift Card. Jack said: “The paper vouchers were a real positive but they were cumbersome for businesses and easily lost by customers. Most people use card now so the physical or digital options for the Visit Buncrana Gift Card will bring ease of use for all involved. We have many good employers in the area who are smart people and know that if they give these cards as rewards at Christmas, their employees have the choice of over 60 Buncrana businesses and it will put feet on the street. Everybody benefits.”

The Visit Buncrana Gift Card will be part of the multi-award winning Town & City Gift Cards initiative which is active across Ireland. Over €17.4 million in Town & City Gift Cards sales were achieved across its network in 2025, driving an estimated 335,000 visits to Irish towns and cities this year.

Colin Munro, CEO, Miconex, said: “The Buncrana Businesses Together group has achieved significant spend through their paper vouchers. By utilising our friction free technology through the forthcoming Visit Buncrana Gift Card, the town will be able to unlock the next phase of shop local growth for their business community. Every Visit Buncrana Gift Card will be spent in person, driving real footfall and spend for Buncrana businesses.”

Mark Cunningham, business development manager for Miconex Ireland said: “Buncrana businesses joining together to launch a new physical and digital gift card for the town is a huge success story, and demonstrates the power of local business communities to transform our towns. As cards can only be spent in person, the card will guarantee increased local footfall for Buncrana merchants, locking spend into the town which will benefit the whole community.”

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