After a very long work week, my friend CJ invited me out in Friday evening for a Dublin Pride walking tour around Temple Bar. It was good to get out the apartment. The streets were busy as usual, and our tour group of 20 or so people had to navigate through the crowds on sidewalks and streets. It was interesting to hear more about the history of evolution of the Irish LGBT rights movement in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and the importance of physical spaces where gay people could gather openly even though homosexuality was not decriminalized in Ireland until 1993. The tour lasted about an hour. We ended at the Pennylane bar off Capel Street for cocktails.
On Friday, the government also announced the re-introduction of restrictions to curb the surge in COVID-19 infections and prepare for the imminent spread of thr omicron variant. The following restrictions will be in place from 7 December to 9 January:
• Nightclubs will close and strict social distancing will be required in all bars and restaurants, including hotels. Only table service will be permitted and there must be one metre between table. There will be a maximum of six adults per table, or fifteen people including children. There can be no multiple table bookings and masks must be worn when not at tables. However, closing time remains at midnight.
• There will be a a maximum of 50% capacity at entertainment, cultural, community and sporting events – which must all be fully seated. This does not include religious or educational events or normal workplace business activity.
• The Covid pass will be required for gyms, leisure centres, hotel bars and restaurants. However, guests at weddings, which can go ahead as planned, in hotels will not be required to show a Covid Cert and the measure does not apply to those who live in a hotel permanently .
• Anyone arriving into the State after midnight on Saturday and from Sunday morning will be required to present either an antigen test or PCR test which does not indicate the presence of Covid-19.
• There will be an extension of the current targeted commercial rates waiver for the first three months of 2022, along with €25m extra supoorts for the entertainment industry, areintroduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and supports for the hospitality sector.
• In addition, NPHET has advised that visits in private homes over the coming weeks should be kept to a maximum of three other households, for a total of four households, at one time. This is a recommendation and will not be statutorily backed up or enforced by gardaí.
The weekend has been a quiet one. Saturday I caught up on personal matters and some projects around the apartment, including repairing one of the IKEA dining room chairs that was broken. The weather has been cold in the 40s F / high single digits C, but clear. On Sunday I sleep in late but am eager to get out of the apartment for some fresh air. I stop into the KC Peaches cafe at the corner of Dame Street and South Great George Street for a bite to eat. I have never actually eaten there, even though it’s right around the corner from Sprangers Yard. The dining room upstairs had a nice view of the busy intersection below, and I enjoyed people-watching for awhile. I had a “toastie” sandwich which was somewhat disappointing for its €8 price. Afterwards, I walked along the Liffey and eventually to St. Patrick’s Cathedral Park where the church bells are ringing out a long tintinnabulation. St. Patrick’s Cathedral holds the heaviest change-ringing peal of bells in Ireland, which are also the 10th heaviest in the world. There is also a used book fair in the park that takes place on Sunday afternoons, so it is more lively than usual. Someone has set up an electronic piano in the plaza and plays an eclectic selection of pieces ranging from Pachelbel’s Canon to Hotel California. The sun has already dipped behind the urban skyline at 3:00pm, chilling the air quickly. Time to head back indoors and warm up over a cup of tea!
Until next time….
