Final nail for pubs – and rural Galway

The decision to further delay the reopening of pubs is ‘a nail in the coffin for rural Galway’ – and it makes no logical sense for public health, when young people are swarming to private parties, shebeens and public parks.

That is the view of County Galway head of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), Cllr Joe Sheridan, who has lambasted the latest twist in the Covid-19 saga that has continued to keep the shutters down until at least the end of the month on over two-thirds of Galway’s estimated 475 pubs – now closed for over five months.

“We in the VFI from the start wanted equality of opportunity for all and were pushing for a sensible, logical, policeable regulation where people are safe and feel safe in whatever realm, be it retail or hospitality, where best practice would be brought to bear,” the Dunmore publican fumed.

“Leaving young people without an avenue to socialise with their friends is not logical. This is a nail in the coffin for rural Ireland and rural Galway – we have 3,500 publicans and they’re mainly family run businesses which in many cases are the only light on at the crossroads of a village.

“There are melees, park parties, shebeens where people are charging between €20 and €50 for people to squeeze into a shed in the back garden. If you don’t allow policeable and licenceable venues open there will of course be problems.

“Look at where the clusters are – factories and direct provision centres. Publicans have become the whipping boys of public health. The amount of phone calls I’ve got from male and female members in serious mental and physical stress with mortgages and young families and left without any livelihood.

“In a lot of cases at that crossroads the pub is the community centre, it sponsors the under-16 girls’ Gaelic team, the under-11 boys’ soccer team. Publicans don’t take their responsibly lightly.”

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