Pubs will stay shut rather than face early closure in January

Many pubs in Galway will be keeping the shutters down in January rather than trying to operate under an 8pm curfew – with industry chiefs warning that early closures will leave many businesses unviable.

Businessowners were left in ‘disbelief and devastation’ when it became clear on Friday last that NPHET had advised a 5pm closure time for pubs and restaurants – citing fears over an oncoming wave of Omicron cases.

Chair of Galway VFI, Johnny Duggan, said that despite the Government deviating slightly from the public health team’s advice, an 8pm closing time provided little solace for publicans who had been hammered by repeated closures since the arrival of Covid-19.

“Once again, the Government has gone for the soft target of hospitality,” said Mr Duggan who is proprietor of Taylor’s Bar on Dominick Street in the city.

“We don’t have a food business and there isn’t much of a day trade in the West End. We generally open at 5pm and the large majority of pubs in Galway don’t trade for the business they’re doing before 6pm – 90% of your trade is in the evening.

“There is no point in the likes of us opening in January and at the moment, I’d say we probably won’t,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the Portumna man at the helm of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) told the Connacht Tribune his members had been left ‘in shock and reeling’ after Friday evening’s announcement.

“It’s a hammer blow and it’s very difficult for businesses to accept this. It affects the owners, the staff and all their families and while we will always do what’s required to protect public health, there has to be a consideration of the other two strands of this – people’s livelihoods and their ability to keep businesses afloat,” said Adrian Cummins.

See the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune – on sale in shops from this Wednesday. Or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie