Evidence
Every figure on this site comes from a published source listed below, with the date we accessed it. If we could not cite a number, we do not show it.
Market evidence
| ID | Claim | Figure | Source | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Publican licences in Ireland fell from 8,617 in 2005 to 6,412 in 2025, a net reduction of 2,205 (25.6%). | 8,617 to 6,412 (-2,205, -25.6%) | The Decline in the Number of Public Houses 2005 to 2025 Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI); economic analysis by Anthony Foley, DCU Business School · published 2026-08 · primary source |
2026-10-11 |
| E1b | County pub-licence declines 2005-2025 ranged from 40.2% in Limerick to 1.1% in Dublin. | Limerick -40.2%; Dublin -1.1% | The Decline in the Number of Public Houses 2005 to 2025 Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI); economic analysis by Anthony Foley, DCU Business School · published 2026-08 · primary source |
2026-10-11 |
| E4 | Overseas visitors to Ireland in 2024: almost 6.6 million, spending EUR 6 billion (CSO data, as reported by Tourism Ireland). | almost 6.6 million visitors; EUR 6 billion spend | Tourism Ireland comment on overseas tourism figures for 2024 Tourism Ireland (citing CSO) · published 2025-01-30 · secondary source |
2026-10-11 |
| E6 | New motor caravans licensed for the first time in Ireland: 303 in 2025 (311 in 2024). New vehicles only; second-hand imports are not included in this table. | 303 (2025); 311 (2024) | TEA15 - New Vehicles Licenced for the First Time (Body Type: Motor caravan; Taxation Class: All vehicles) Central Statistics Office (CSO), PxStat table TEA15 · published 2026-01-13 · primary source |
2026-10-11 |
These figures show the context. They do not show that travellers will use, or hosts will join, Nightcap.
What we don't know yet
- The size of the fleet. The CSO counts new motor caravans licensed for the first time (E6). It does not include second-hand imports, so it understates the number on Irish roads. We do not have a full fleet count.
- Whether travellers will pay. We have no evidence yet on what travellers would pay for a night at a host.
- Host uptake. We do not know how many hosts would list.
We plan to test all three in the pilot. Pilot in preparation.
Who else is out there
These are existing options for campervan and motorhome travellers. Facts are taken from each service's own pages; where a page gives no figure, we say so. Brit Stops is the closest model to what we plan: it lists host stopovers, including Irish pubs, farms and attractions, for a yearly membership.
| Name | Model | Ireland coverage | Price | How we plan to differ (hypothesis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brit Stops | Paid yearly membership for access to host stopover locations (farms, pubs, attractions) on website and app. | States 'Stopovers Across the UK and Ireland'; homepage gives no Irish host count. Own blog says 'more than 1,400 unique stopovers across the UK and Ireland' (https://www.britstops.com/blog/top-motorhome-camping-apps-in-the-uk). Homepage headline: '1,200+' locations. | GBP 35.20 per year shown as a 20% sign-up offer against GBP 44.00 (homepage); blog lists GBP 44/year | Hypothesis: a free, map-first way to find and request a night at a host, with no membership needed to browse, and hosts keep what travellers spend. To be tested in the pilot. |
| park4night | Free app with optional paid park4night+ (offline mode, itinerary search); user-contributed places. | Not stated on the pages checked (no Ireland figure on the homepage or subscription page). | EUR 9.99 per year (park4night+) | Hypothesis: a host-confirmed listing (the host has said yes) may suit travellers better than user-contributed places. To be tested in the pilot. |
| Campercontact | Free app and website with paid PRO+ (ad-free, offline, travel planner, navigate); some online booking. | Not in the country list on the English homepage; the site does carry Irish listing pages (e.g. https://www.campercontact.com/en/ierland), with no count shown. Homepage claims '60,000+' motorhome sites overall. | PRO+ EUR 4.99 per month, EUR 9.99 per quarter, or EUR 17.99 per year | Hypothesis: a narrower focus on Irish hosts, with the host verifying each listing, may add value alongside broad European coverage. To be tested in the pilot. |
| Search for Sites | Free website registration; some content limited to paid app subscribers (iOS and Android). | Lists 'Ireland [861]' sites out of '51258 sites listed' (island-wide count not split by RoI/NI on the page). | Registration free; app subscription price not stated on the page | Hypothesis: listings that show who confirmed them and when may build more trust than a large count. To be tested in the pilot. |
We did not find and verify a dedicated Irish pub-stop app, so we make no claim either way. Prices are as displayed on the accessed date and may change.
Differentiation hypotheses
These are hypotheses we want to test, not conclusions.
- Hypothesis 1: Hosts who have said yes, shown with who confirmed the listing and when, are more useful to travellers than unverified places.
- Hypothesis 2: Browsing for free lowers the barrier to trying a new service.
- Hypothesis 3: Hosts keeping what travellers spend during the pilot makes listing easier to agree to.
- Hypothesis 4: A focus on Irish hosts can give better local detail than broad European apps.