Christmas jumpers outnumber face masks as hundreds of Cork students queue for pubs

UCC and MTU students gather for 'Christmas Day' event as pubs apply controls including distancing and Covid cert checks

Young revellers line up outside Cissie Young's pub on Bandon Rd in Cork this afternoon during the unofficial student 'Christmas Day' event. Picture: Larry Cummins

It was Christmas jumpers that were the order of the day as opposed to face coverings as students gathered at pubs across Cork City today to mark an early start to the festive season.  

To the outside observer, the optics were not great, particularly given stark warnings from public health officials to cut socialising amid a surge in Covid cases and hospitalisations. Large queues, with hundreds reported in some places, were seen from early morning outside a number of pubs around Cork City without much social distancing being observed. 

However, inside it was a different story with students saying there were strict measures in place, including the checking of Covid certs and IDs.

Students wait patiently in the queue outside Annie Macs pub on Bandon Rd, The Lough, Cork at 2pm today. Picture: Larry Cummins

In the Magazine Rd area, students began queuing at around 10am and, by lunchtime, two pubs in the area had queues of around 50-100 people.  

By 2pm, the doors at both pubs in the area were closed, with capacity seemingly reached.  

Two students from Munster Technological University (MTU) said they were going out as they were in their final year and wanted to mark their last Christmas in college.

“We’ve been locked up for two years so we’re over it,” they said when asked about the Covid situation.

“We’re vaccinated. We haven’t really been able to experience college life at all.” When asked about antigen testing, both said they had taken one before going out and will take another test tomorrow

Gardaí on the scene on Magazine Rd said students had been very well behaved.  The gardaí had been on the scene from around 10am to supervise queues but said there had been no issues.

Michael Coffey, whose family own Annie Mac's pub in the area said they had a doorman working to ensure Covid certs and IDs were checked.

He said they were lucky to have a large outdoor area and had staff on hand to ensure there was orderly queuing for the bar.

“It was a lot busier around the area than people thought,” he said.

“We were well prepared. We had two bouncers and five or six staff on.” 

When asked if staff had concerns, Mr Coffey said they closed the doors and cleared the pub twice to ensure staff got a break and to clean the place up.

The local Centra in the area also saw large queues for food in the morning and at lunchtime. Owner Denis Whelton praised the students for their behaviour saying they were exceptionally well behaved.

"Two of them came in early on, asked us for bags, and they gathered up all the litter outside the pubs — which people don't hear about," said Mr Whelton.

"I think they just wanted a release valve to go out and socialise. Unfortunately with the way they're packed on the footpath to queue up together isn't great, but we really don't have any hassle."

One student said she was concerned as she was going to be seeing her parents at the weekend. However, the first-year student said she would be taking antigen tests after being out.

Another, who had been in Cissie Youngs pub on Barrack St, said staff had been strict there.

He said they weren’t allowed to move around in the pub, and that vaccine passports and IDs were checked. Cissie Youngs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The student said he had taken antigen tests on Wednesday and Thursday, and had plans to take another on Friday.

Christmas jumpers were much in evidence as hundreds of UCC and MTU students gathered in pubs on the day Ireland's pubs revert to midnight closing due to Covid restrictions. Picture: Larry Cummins

Nearby, there were also large queues outside other bars.

Eric O’Mahony, who is a manager at the Harp Bar on Pouladuff Rd said capacity is capped at 250 people with Covid measures in place.

He said people began queuing to get in at 10.30am, when the pub opened.

“Covid passes are being checked, IDs are being checked, and they’re being let in in groups of six,” he told the Irish Examiner.

He said the pub has security on and they’ve been at full capacity since around 11am. He added that they were operating a one-in, one-out system.

The colleges in the city do not organise any events linked to the gatherings. 

Catherine Clancy, who is chair of the Magazine Road Residents Association said she had some concerns about the number of students out socialising

A Covid outbreak in the area is a cause for concern due to lack of social distancing by students, she said, adding that, due to the queues of students, the local shop has been inaccessible to residents.

'Covid passes are being checked, IDs are being checked, and they’re being let in in groups of six': Controls in place at the Harp Bar in Ballyphehane, Cork, pictured at 1.30pm this afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins

Ms Clancy said that to see students coming out of shops and off-licenses with “water bottles, emptying them and mixing [alcohol] on the street” was unacceptable.

Ms Clancy did praise the support that community gardaí and University College Cork (UCC) have given them to date, saying that if complaint forms are needed, they will be received.