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TJ MacInerney, of T.J Mac’s pub in Mullinahone, Co Tipperary, as publicans from rural Ireland protest against the 6 month closure of their businesses, and against proposed legislation to keep a record of meals ordered by their customers. Leah Farrell via RollingNews.ie

'Families have suffered enough': Emotional scenes outside the Dáil as publicans demand 'fair play'

The pubs have been given the green light to reopen on 21 September.

PUBLICANS GATHERED OUTSIDE the Dáil today demanding “fair play” for pub owners across the country whose businesses have been closed for nearly six months.

TJ MacInerney, of TJ Mac’s pub in Mullinahone, Tipperary, broke down in tears outside the Dáil as he asked Micheál Martin to introduce some “fair play” for the responsible publicans whose businesses have been destroyed by the pandemic. 

He said he’s a responsible publican who can guarantee social distancing and added that he wanted to have people coming back into Mullinahone after such a traumatic six months. 

“I’m a responsible publican. I’m a reputable publican. To reopen in the village, it means everything,” he said. 

MacInerney added that he wants to be able to see the pubs and the GAA return to Irish life. 

“We’re hurting badly. We need fair play and a suite of solutions is what I’m going to present to Micheál Martin. We want to be viable in the future and make tax returns.”

It emerged this morning that pubs have been given the green light to re-open from 21 September following a meeting of Cabinet this morning. 

The plan to reopen pubs is subject to local restrictions, which may be implemented in areas with high incidences of Covid-19. 

The decision comes after a concerning rise in cases in Dublin and Limerick. 

The two representative bodies for pubs across Ireland welcomed the announcement.

The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said the non-food pubs will have been closed for 189 days – more than 6 months – by the time they get to reopen.

Currently, 3,500 pubs across the country remain closed, impacting approximately 25,000 employees as well as their families.

It was also noted that the Government was likely to force thousands of these pubs into defaulting their mortgage should they have not been allowed to reopen, with the six-month moratorium due to close at the end of September.  

Speaking about the announcement, LVA Chief Executive Donall O’Keeffe said: “It’s about time this decision was made. We feel there was little justification for the Government to have repeatedly delayed the reopening. If all pubs are following social distancing then they should all have had the opportunity to get their doors open long before now.

“The vast majority of pubs have acted incredibly responsibly during this crisis and the pubs still closed have taken a real hit for the good of public health. It is about time that this contribution was acknowledged by the Government. We look forward to raising a glass once these pubs do get to open their doors again after six long months.”

With reporting by Christina Finn

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    Mute Stephen Gaffney
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:28 PM

    September 21st should be a national holiday.

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    Mute Jimbo Jones
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:57 PM

    @Stephen Gaffney: Absolutely. “Unhealthy National Relationship with Booze Day”.

    65
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    Mute windbag
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    Sep 8th 2020, 5:12 PM

    @Stephen Gaffney: close the pubs…

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    Mute John Hoare
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:39 PM

    surprised they aren’t being labelled as “far right” protesters by the media

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    Mute The Shape
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:43 PM

    @John Hoare: why would they? Only far right protesters get labelled as far right protesters…

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    Mute James Walsh
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    Sep 8th 2020, 5:03 PM

    @John Hoare: This is a sector-specific protest by a group of businesses facing ruin, there’s no underlying ideological agenda or crazy conspiracy theory driving. If Gemma O’Doherty and her minions get labelled as “far right” it’s because they are.

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    Mute Maurice Egan
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    Sep 9th 2020, 2:52 PM

    @James Walsh: This is market capitalism at its best, beloved of the private sector, live by the sword and die by the sword. Or is it private the profits and socialize the losses just like we did for the crooked banks

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    Mute bmul
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:29 PM

    Bet they put the prices up

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    Mute Brian Flavin
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:58 PM

    @bmul: if price up will damage pub as some people can’t afford

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    Mute Darren McEneaney
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:38 PM

    So long as they can guarantee social distancing and comply with the measures, there’s no real reason they should be kept shut. That said, those that fail to do so should definitely face being penalised

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    Mute nazi killer
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:39 PM

    Absolute neck of them. We’re all in this together, except for the pubs who somehow want special exemption. Nearly every office in the country empty yet these charlatans think they’re essential!

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    Mute D'oh
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:42 PM

    @nazi killer: Sure do you not remember all the free pints…… Oh wait!!!!

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:46 PM

    @nazi killer: How do you expect pub owners and their staff to live when they have no income? You do understand that one has to work to earn money, right?

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    Mute Owwwwnnnn
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:47 PM

    @nazi killer: I can’t tell if this is humour or your not right in the head…

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    Mute Gina Carroll
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:51 PM

    @nazi killer: u are so right

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    Mute Rhoda Cunningham
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:52 PM

    @nazi killer: To many people they are essential especially in villages all over the country where going for a pint in the evening is the only point of social contact for many people especially older folk. Also remember that the vast majority of country towns and villages have been un touched by Covid 19

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    Mute Brynþór Patrekursson
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:01 PM

    @David Corrigan: considering the staff are all on minimum wage, they’re probably not looking forward to go back to work. The owners will get good backing from their politician buddies (lowry anyone?) and will land on their feet, but each of these local pubs will be the first to have 50 people absolutely langered, mixing with the young fellas coming home for the weekend from Dublin. I’d love to have a pint. I’d love to people watch. I’d love for the young ones and fellas to have an income. But these towns will be dead if we go back to normal with a thud.

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    Mute Brynþór Patrekursson
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:05 PM

    @Rhoda Cunningham: Jesus Rhoda – can that not go for a cup of tea, even a €10 latte if they must, and get that social contact. If each of these was so vital to the community, they would temporarily repurpose and reopen. They didn’t. They’re waiting for the cash cow pints to come back.

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    Mute Sean May
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    Sep 8th 2020, 3:19 PM

    @Brynþór Patrekursson: It’s worth remembering that for those, like yours truly, that struggle with Social Anxiety – a condition that is rarely addressed in the media, nor admitted to – a couple of pints are a Godsend when it comes to coping with chatting with strangers, making small-talk and generally calming the nerves in social situations. Not everyone is a social butterfly. (And as for the 10 euro latte? Well…the less said the better…)

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    Mute Shane Egan
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    Sep 8th 2020, 3:52 PM

    @Brynþór Patrekursson: a 10euro latte? I really hope you’re being sarcastic or maybe your just that Dublin centric you don’t realise that there isn’t a coffee shop on every corner of every rural village in ireland , there’s no where in the village of mullinahone to go in and sit down for a coffee and have that social interaction that we as humans need except Tj Macs bar which has been closed for the last 6 months. An incase you’re unaware it’s not that everyone wants to go in to a pub and get “hammered” it’s to meet someone and have a human conversation before the mental health of thousands is completely diminished due to the lack of human interaction in the last few months.

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    Mute ed o brien
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    Sep 8th 2020, 4:00 PM

    @nazi killer: We take in massive amounts on revenue from tourists every year, if these businesses fail, where will those tourists go to take in the Irish pub experience when covid eventually passes?
    Wetherspoons?
    If we kill off the pubs we will lose a lot of our tourist trade. Go to any pub in Dublin on a normal weekend and it is packed with tourists!!!

    If you dont want to go to a pub when they reopen, dont!
    But allow businesses to reopen and stay afloat.

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    Mute James Walsh
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    Sep 8th 2020, 5:06 PM

    @Brynþór Patrekursson: It very much depends on the sort of pub in question, I’ve spoken to people in work in pubs who actually do miss it. I’d imagine it’s different for staff in some sort of mega-pub the quays or in Temple Bar in Dublin.

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    Mute Angela O'Riordan
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    Sep 8th 2020, 8:51 PM

    @nazi killer: yes exactly people are dying alone, residents in nursing homes have limited visits, pregnant women attending diagnostic scans and some births alone, healthcare workers in a second wave putting themselves at risk again, routine cancer and other emergency surgical and medical interventions being cancelled etc etc and all these people are worried is opening the pubs

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    Mute Angela O'Riordan
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    Sep 8th 2020, 8:52 PM

    @David Corrigan: other people have had to change jobs

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Sep 8th 2020, 8:55 PM

    @nazi killer: Most office workers from closed premises are working from home and therefore getting paid full wages.

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    Mute Rhoda Cunningham
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    Sep 9th 2020, 5:59 AM

    They are still meeting other people if they go for a cup of tea so whats tbe difference?

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    Mute SC
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    Sep 9th 2020, 6:26 AM

    @Rhoda Cunningham: they have had enough time with drink driving laws etc to find hobbies and ways of socialising other than drinking. People can go for walks or call in to eachother. Some people have to isolate completely because of this disease and would love those options.

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    Mute Joe Vlogs
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:54 PM

    Considering the lack of social distancing going on there, I wouldn’t trust them to social distance a pub either.

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    Mute Will
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:03 PM

    @Joe Vlogs: “lack of social distancing going on there”

    You cannot tell that from the above photo. Quit with the nonsense.

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    Mute Joe Vlogs
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:36 PM

    @Will: https://www.radiokerry.ie/kerry-publicans-protest-outside-td-offices/
    Have a quick look at them here. Or their interview on Virgin.

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    Mute leartius
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    Sep 8th 2020, 1:58 PM

    Great news. Paddy’s day falls on September 21st 2020.

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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Sep 8th 2020, 2:18 PM

    Woah is me

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    Mute James Walsh
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    Sep 8th 2020, 5:08 PM

    @JustBEERbarry: Don’t you mean ‘woe is me’?

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    Mute Pat Ruane
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    Sep 9th 2020, 7:58 AM

    Publicans just never stop crying, and whinging about something.

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    Mute Paul O Faolain
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    Sep 9th 2020, 6:29 AM

    The day of the pub is over ,people are seen how much there getting ripped off by publicans over the years

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