Irish consumer spending in pubs and restaurants soared in February, despite storm disruptions.

Spending in Irish pubs and restaurants surged in February, up 32% and 16% respectively, fueled by St. Brigid's Day, Six Nations rugby, and the end of Dry January. Overall spending rose 5% monthly and 10% annually, with electric vehicle charging points seeing a 12% monthly and 83% yearly increase. Storm Éowyn led to a 38% drop in in-store transactions on its peak day but also boosted hardware store sales by 8% in February. Online spending was up 15% year-over-year.