Best case scenario sees fifteen allowed into pubs for Christmas

It will be a very lean Christmas for many of the county’s publicans as it was confirmed this week that the best they can hope for is a return to Level 3 restrictions in December, meaning just 15 customers outdoors at the height of winter.

This comes as pubs and restaurants closed their doors last night for the next six weeks amid the introduction of Level 5 restrictions, effectively locking down much of the country in a bid to slow the surge in Covid-19 cases.

In a stark warning, Chair of the Galway branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Joe Sheridan, said a conservative estimate was that 20% of pubs would never reopen – but that could rise up to one-third of public houses if they didn’t see some return to business for the festive season.

“There is no question but that this will close one-fifth of pubs in Ireland for good – that’s of a total of 7,500. What’s more, 80% of those that will close will be in the Western region of the country.

“There is no Plan B for rural pubs. At least in urban areas, there is some hope – you’ll have the footfall again and some chance,” said Mr Sheridan, who is also a Fianna Fáil county councillor.

Mr Sheridan said he had not opened his own pub, Walsh’s Bar in Dunmore, since the country was first locked down in March.

“Ten per cent of pubs in Galway did not reopen for that two week period where they were allowed to because the physicality of the premises meant they couldn’t adhere to the regulations – my place was too small to open,” he added.

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