'We've missed you': Pubs get ready to welcome customers back

Publican father and son John and Tim Mulvihill check the lines and the outdoor seating arrangements ahead of welcoming customers to The Red Fox Pub at The Kerry Bog Village on The Ring of Kerry on yesterday. The pub, popular with locals and tourists alike, now features outdoor weather pods to protect against the elements near Glenbeigh in Co Kerry on the Wild Atlantic Way. Picture: Don MacMonagle

“We’ve missed you” is the message from publicans to their customers as they prepare to reopen their doors today - many of them for the first time in 15 months.

Around 4,000 pubs, about half of the total number in the country, are reopening for outdoor service only, with up to 25,000 of their furloughed staff returning to work.

The latest easing of restrictions will see about 70,000 people who have been out of work as a result of the extended Covid-19 lockdown able to return to the workplace.

All outdoor hospitality will reopen today, while small crowds of up to 100 people can attend live sporting events, rising to 200 at venues with a capacity of 5,000 or greater. 

Gyms, swimming pools and cinemas will also open their doors to the public for the first time in six months.

Disturbances

The great reopening however comes after a bank holiday weekend marred by ugly scenes in Dublin, with gardaí in riot gear who were dispersing large crowds coming under attack. Bottles and glasses were thrown at officers and three gardaí were injured.

A total of 33 people, including seven minors, were arrested in Dublin over Friday and Saturday night. Assistant garda commissioner Anne Marie Cagney said last night: "Unfortunately, we had a number of individuals who just won’t accept that there are laws to abide by.  They have taken it into their own hands to try and cause trouble for the community, and this is unacceptable behaviour. We have had a number of missiles thrown at gardaí and part of our community are living in fear. This will not be tolerated.

She blamed a group of "like-minded, young individuals who are predominately coming into the city and causing trouble."

In Cork, meanwhile, 12 people were arrested on Saturday evening in the city, though no major public order incidents were reported.

Gardaí said that the 12 had been arrested “primarily for public intoxication offences”, and said the atmosphere in the city had been “very good”.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan described the scenes of anti-social behaviour as "deeply regrettable".

Safe spaces

"We've actually created safe social spaces outdoors, throughout this pandemic, we don't want to lose that,” Mr Ryan said. “I'm concerned that guards were injured. it's not right to be throwing glasses at anyone.”

He said local councils now need to develop event-control teams to work with the gardaí and other authorities to ensure people can safely meet outdoors in city areas this summer.

Mr Ryan told RTÉ's This Week programme that these teams would work to make sure that crowds are not congregating in a single area or street and ensure instead that people disperse throughout the city.

In terms of today’s reopening, Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said the Government wants to get as many people as possible back to work, but stressed that caution around public health guidelines is still required.

“We don’t know where this virus is going to be in the next few weeks and months, so we need to be prepared for that," she said. "There will be outdoor seating across the country where people can enjoy that outdoor summer."

Hospitality reaction

The various hospitality industry representative groups have broadly  welcomed the relaxing of restrictions but said that not every business had been given the green light to open its doors

The Restaurants Association of Ireland said that while it welcomes the return of outdoor hospitality, “only 20% of hospitality businesses can operate outdoors”, and its focus remains on “getting all businesses reopened indoors so they can trade viably”. 

Chief executive Adrian Cummins reiterated his call for the Government to end its “discriminatory” policy of allowing hotel restaurants to operate indoor dining five weeks ahead of other restaurants and eateries.

Those sentiments were echoed by the Licensed Vintners Association, which noted that it is 448 days since many pubs were forced to close.

“The reality is that not all pubs or hospitality venues will be able to offer outdoor service and for those that do they will have a limited level of capacity available,” chief executive Donall O’Keeffe said. 

“While this is an important moment which has been eagerly awaited by the pubs. The recovery won’t begin in earnest until indoor service resumes in July.”

The Vintners Federation of Ireland meanwhile said it was a big day with one over-riding sentiment: “We’ve missed you and welcome back.”