Cork hospitality sector hits out at closure

Restaurant, pub, and hotel owners call for more government support

Michelle and Katie McCarthy in their family-owned restaurant Jacobs on the Mall, Cork, which has just undergone a major refurbishment and is set to close again due to Covid-19 restrictions.   Picture: Dan Linehan

"I swear to God, I have no faith whatsoever in government in this country. Only for I'd embarrass my father I'd go and picket Micheál Martin's house. My father would know him well. He lives about 150 metres from where I was reared."

Those are the words of Liam Barry, who owns Goldbergs, An Bodhrán, and The Island Tavern in Cork, all three of which are having to close under new level three restrictions which come into effect at midnight. 

Those working in the hospitality sector feel they are being "targeted", and are calling for more government support.

"It (Nphet's level five) was leaked on purpose to prepare us for the worst," said Mr Barry. "Then, they (the Government) came in like knights in shining armour.

"Then, they're taking responsibility away from us again and giving it back to the people that are going back to drinking in their own houses where they have no regulations."

Jason O'Sullivan, manager of Liberty Grill on Cork's Washington St, says they will close and will not offer a takeaway service. They also do not have the space for outdoor dining.

He believes the Government should do more to support the sector, but adds there are some pubs, cafés, and restaurants that did not reconfigure their space to allow for social distancing.

"There's a lot of places that haven't done this and who haven't been compliant," said Mr O'Sullivan. "I've walked into a few places in town and walked back out again because it's just like it was beforehand."

Michelle McCarthy of Jacob's on the Mall on South Mall, Cork, reopened only last month, and she says she spent a "fortune" renovating the restaurant to ensure it was Covid-compliant. 

The restaurant has been part of Cork's landscape for 24 years. Now, they are closed for at least another three weeks. There is no room for outdoor dining and takeaway is not a viable option.

"Businesses who have only opened in the last year or two, they won't come back," said Ms McCarthy. 

"It's a sad day for Cork. We were really coming into our own with our restaurants, bars, and hospitality trade. Why are we being hit again?"

Meanwhile, one million bed nights will be lost by limiting guests to staying within their county over the next three weeks, said the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF). 

The IHF says the measures will have a “disastrous” impact on the ability of hotels to stay open, with many now facing enormous uncertainty for the remainder of the year and having to decide on whether or not to close.