Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

Semantics again.. this was covered before.

Are you still forced to get out of a pub at 8, present your covid pass if you want to sit inside, wear a mask in retail situations, get tested if you want to travel outside this State or possibly even go to/stay home from work? Are you doing all these things for something that is now presenting as a common cold in the majority of cases and which you would previously (prior to 2020) have just stocked up on lemsip and tissues for and gone about your business unrestricted?

You're "locked down" whether you realise it or not.. you don't have to be confined to 2/5km to realise that.

Nah, English pubs are not for me!

Revellers, ugh.

I regularly travel 'outside the state' and don't require testing. When I'm outside the state I also have to wear a mask in retail situations. The other things you've mentioned, I've absolutely no control over. Therefore, I'm not a coward...and I'm not locked down.

I don`t remember Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats being banned from playing in Ireland. I do remember him during the Brexit campaign saying it was the "dawn of alternative facts and fake news" though.

50 years on a lot has changed including I`m assuming Bob Geldof`s views on Ireland. During the Brexit campaign he also said he was delighted that he, his children and grandchildren hold Irish passports.

Excellent post.

The only place I have seen these points raised elsewhere has been in the UK through former Law Lord Jonathan Sumption.

Sadly,Ireland appears to be bereft of people prepared to defy the NPHET/Cabinet cabal,which leaves us spectacularly vulnerable to the less than rational decisions of them.

Follow the Money.

100%.

It's very instructive to compare ourselves to our nearest neighbour. Today their Health Secretary, Sajid Javid has said that more restrictions will be an "absolute last resort " and that the UK must look to "live alongside Cornavirus in 2022".

Imagine an Irish Minister coming out with this. They'd probably be lynched and strung from a lamppost.

Covid has exposed us as an incredibly cowardly nation.

You can Google it.

and your right he did say all of those things, for a time it looked like ireland had claimed her rightful position as a modern outward looking progressive society. Brave enough to face down the blue rinse brigade and the Catholic Church to vote in marriage equality and allow women to make their own decisions.

but here we are today. Ireland put MM in charge, he wants the title of an Taoiseach but doesn’t want to make any of the hard decisions, he’s abdicated to Tony who wants to make all the decisions but hasn’t been elected by anybody. When you raise you hand to say sorry professor Nolan 1+2 isn’t equal 7 you get called a conspiracy theorist and beasty deletes your comment.

so no, not much has changed, the Irish begrudgery and curtain twitching is the same as it always was.

And those same people that voted for marriage equality and to allow women make decisions about their own bodies are some of the same people now who are championing the covid cert and looking to have people who have made a decision about their own body not to take the vaccine treated as lesser citizens and they look down on them.

Nope. I was all for marriage equality and a woman's choice. I'm also against the vaccine certs. It's not as black and white as you are making it.

He came back last November, leaked his letter to the media and then we were told we can only leave the house for work, grocery shopping or excercise. It was house arrest with privileges.

He tweeted about South William Street as a call to the Garda to get it shut down. We were calling it for what it was even before the Garda turned up the next day.

He has been operating well beyond his role.

Sorry that you were living in such harsh circumstances. Oh, he didn't order the guards onto the streets by the way. He doesn't have the authority.

Ah yeah sure the BBC are good at making a crowd seem larger than it actually is

Very encouraging news on the hospitalization front today, with discharges exceeding total new confirmed cases in hospital for the first time in a while.

Let's hope it continues, but it is certainly a very encouraging start to the new year.