Opening of "No-Food" pubs pushed out again

I love my pint as much as the next man - I don't drink at home; it's just not the same. I love being able to pop down to my local at 10pm on Friday drink 4 pints; catch up on the local news and talk nonsense with whoever happens to come in to the pub.

I am heading out west for a week and I must say I'm gutted that I won't be able to have a couple of quick pints when the kids are gone to bed as I would normally have on holidays.

However; I do support the government on their decision yesterday - for me schools are the priority; I have two kids who are lost without school and making them happy is more important than my few pints on a Friday evening.

I was down the southwest last weekend and with out a doubt the liberties being taken by some establishments circumnavigating the time / food limits would make me certain that trying to have some form of regulation of punters in pubs would be next to impossible. For every pub that will enforce the necessary public health measures there would be one which wouldn't give a monkies and pay total lip service to it.

How can you separate groups of people from interacting when drink is involved.

Its only a couple of more weeks (maybe more) without having to go to the pub - surely people can handle that for the greater good.


However - I do fear for the pub sector. So many great pubs have already finding being viable a struggle pre-covid ... so the government needs to work with this sector. Getting creative on VAT / Duty on on-premises sales, grants for upgrading facilities and payroll assistance etc to ensure that when this mess is all over we will still have these pubs. I am living in a rural location and the pub is the center of the community along with the GAA club.

mariaalice wrote: »

I know that, I am just wondering are we the only country with pubs still closed not if its a good idea or not. I won't be going to any pub at the moment.

you need to compare across our European neighbors .. and of those the UK are really the only ones with a comparable Pub sector and we don't really want to do what they are doing.

Most of the rest of Europe the vast majority of trade in 'pubs' is related to eating a meal - they are more like restaurants.

So we can't compare our pubs to mainland European pubs

DeanAustin wrote: »

I think it's interesting how polarised this discussion has become for some posters. From, "the government are trying to take away our liberty" to "Irish people can't be trusted with alcohol and f**k the pubs anyway". It's fairly poisonous.

The government have made a decision, based on medical advice, to keep pubs closed. You may not agree with that decision but to assume that it's based on some Machiavellian motivation is just sad and pathetic really. I've absolutely no doubt that the government would love to open the country in the morning but they are taking tough decisions for what they believe is the public good. Fine if you disagree but please stop assuming their motivation to suit an agenda or viewpoint.

Likewise, there are people out there without an income and not able to work. The callous "tough sh!t" attitude from some posters is repugnant. Just stop and imagine you have no money coming in for a minute. You have a mortgage and a couple of kids. Imagine the stress that those people must be under. That's not to mention the mental health effect of not working.

This is a sh!t situation. It's not bloody fair. But it's not anyone's fault. It's a virus that can't be reasoned with or negotiated with and the government are obliged to take what they believe to be the least worst option. I don't envy them one little bit.

Remember when Leo went against the advice from NHPET and opened things quicker?

2 months later and there is 5 people in hospital with covid-19.

Absolutely scaremongering and fear.

Gods Gift wrote: »

I’m resigned to the fact that there’ll be no pubs open this year. Coming into flu season they’ll think it’s too risky.
I know of 3 shabeens not to far from here, very busy last weekend. A lot of the older people pissed off with the operators.

Who are the older people pissed off with? The people running illegal shabeens?
Well they could do something about it rather than giving out to each other maybe?

Imo the pubs will open in September. I don't think the government can delay them much longer they are already pretty behind other countries.

Hector Savage wrote: »

Some facts:

The pubs will NEVER re open.
This lockdown/restriction yoyo will just go on and on and on ....

There is something more at play then just the virus here, govts want to destroy their societies.


Accept it, buy it - you'll sleep better.

The pubs will never reopen?....lol

Absolute nonsense. Why would the government want to do that?

Some will definitely not reopen due to going bust etc but that is a totally different discussion.

listermint wrote: »

Tbf you are talking out of your hoop everytime you use the term 'irish people' it's ignorant, makes you look ignorant. If you are Irish then you are generalising about yourself and the folks who thanked you too.

But I guess you are different though.... Like not Irish then? Or just different in general thus negating your bland broad statements..

Relax I didn't use Irish people in a generalizing manner, it was used so I didn't have to Particularize. And what I said certainly isn't ignorant, the world perception of Irish people are people who are fond of their alcohol. I can confirm this also as a person born in Ireland to Irish parents that certainly in my circles alcohol was a major problem even though at the time none of us saw the problem with it. If you're proud that Ireland is seem a nation of drinkers then that's a problem.

Again I'd like to reiterate, I've no problems with pubs, I just think it being the only form or socializing and entertainment for many people is unhealthy and dangerous

Oranage2 wrote: »

Again I'd like to reiterate, I've no problems with pubs, I just think it being the only form or socializing and entertainment for many people is unhealthy and dangerous

God help me but I have to agree on that, the whole mental health argument about pubs is ridiculous (bar maybe the publicans themselves), go for a walk, get out and meet people (2m apart of course lol), it can be done outside of the pub.

That said I can't comprehend why in this day and age they can't open the pubs with some sort of safety measure in place: maximum drinks, stay times etc.

Donald Trump wrote: »

Right on dude. I'll not make the mistake of agreeing with any parts of your statements in future.


Maybe we should just pack all the old grannies and grandas into the RDS. Inject them with corona, lock the doors and come back in 2 weeks and pull out the ones that survived. Then you could go back to be able to having your pint 3 weeks earlier given that it means that much to you.

That is just a lazy easy reply that has been done to death in here.