The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
WHILE some Covid-19 restrictions are about to be lifted, Ennis publican Darragh McAllister feels it could be a little while yet before pubs are back.
“We’re looking forward to Thursday to see what will be said,” Mr McAllister told The Champion.
“The general reopening is on the way now, but I’d be very cautious about getting anyone’s hopes up just yet.”
Some people may have been surprised to see takeaway pints being sold over the last week, but it is in order, Darragh explained.
“Every seven-day licence is also an off-licence, and as off-licences for the duration of the pandemic have been considered essential retail, anyone with a licence can trade.
“Now, it’s not particularly viable for everyone. Most of the stock you normally sell in a pub you wouldn’t find the same things in an off-licence, you’d be talking about buying in stock in the hope that people would come to you instead of going to the place they normally go to.
“A few places have been doing it, mostly places that have been open for takeaway food, it hasn’t made money for anyone but it hasn’t cost them too much either, and they’re keeping in touch with people and seeing people on a regular basis.”
One stipulation that does exist is that consumers must have their drinks 100 metres from the premises where they bought them.
“Publicans may have got used to earlier nights and free weekends, but Darragh said there isn’t much sign yet that pubs won’t reopen when the chance arises.
“Everyone has been unemployed basically for the last year and there are mental health issues that go with that and there are other issues, people are re-evaluating their lives and what they’re going to do.
“Having said that the Vintners AGM was today, the national conference was online and very few publicans nationwide have taken the decision as yet to not go back.
“But it still remains our fear that as the reopening starts to take shape we might see premises fall by the wayside then, because the great unknown is what is going to happen and what kind of market is out there.
“Is the model that people were operating fit for purpose anymore?”
He feels that pubs did keep customers safe when they reopened last year and they can do it again. “To be fair people did a good job of it in Clare, during the brief chance they were given to open.
“It was managed very well, we were very responsible with it, so we’ll certainly do that again, no more than other businesses in town who did their best to maintain the safety of everyone.”
Recent leaks from Government reveal plans for a minimum price of 10 cent per gram of alcohol, something that would cut the gap in price between pubs and off-licences, something that Darragh welcomes.
“I’m glad that locally efforts have been made to block off the alcohol section in most supermarkets.
“It was a bit of a travesty around Christmas time, when you saw young kids with cans of cider and bottles of vodka and it the most normal thing in the world for them to have it in the shopping trolley, which isn’t right, it needs to be respected first and foremost.
“In my opinion the best way to do that is to consume it in small measure while supervised on professional premises, be it a hotel, bar or restaurant.”
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
