Billy Walsh urges young people to play their part in virus battle
dog, even if it is just around and around her garden. They marked St Patrick’s Day and what is father’s day in Italy on March 19, for which Jerry was presented with a special homemade cake, drawings from the kids and a bottle of beer with a blue ribbon around it. Meanwhile for St Patrick’s Day, Diane proudly hung out the Irish flag and it now remains fluttering on their porch, right beside and in complete solidarity with an Italian one. ‘From our back garden life seems normal,’ Diane said. ‘We can hear the noise of the lawnmowers, voices of our neighbours and our children playing and laughing but it is when we go to the front of our house, we can see and hear that life is now different. There isn’t as much traffic on the road, no one is going for a stroll past our house and in recent days, the people who do drive pass are wearing masks and sometimes gloves.’
‘Even with the changes to our daily life, we keep positive by keeping our children in a routine of school work, taking this time as quality family time and doing some fun activities and keeping them in contact with their school friends by phone or WhatsApp. I read a story to our children in English every night and we say prayers as a family at meal times and before bed.’
While there were some indications that the infection and death rates in Italy are slowing, Diane believes that the current lock-down period is likely to be extended.‘As we continue into this lock-down, my family and neighbours remain positive, expecting and accepting the changes and being responsible,’ she said. ‘As our mayor said we are fighting a war against a faceless enemy and we must make sacrifices for a while longer. In my opinion, we must retreat to our homes to defeat it.’
As Ireland and Wexford braces for a surge, Diane sends a simple message: ‘Stay safe. Be positive. Be responsible, and we will get through this together.’
SPEAKING from his home in Colorado Springs in the US, Wexford native and US Olympic Boxing Coach Billy Walsh has thanked front-line staff at our hospitals for all their hard work and has urged, in particular, the young people of Wexford to play their part in the battle against Covid-19.
‘I want to give a huge shout-out to all the guys and gals on the front-line in hospitals and social services looking after people,’ Billy said. ‘We really appreciate the work you are doing and thank you very much for everything. I know it’s tiring and painful at times, but without you guys we wouldn’t be able to fight this battle against this virus.’
With the Tokyo Olympics now hanging completely in the balance as coronavirus takes its grip across the globe, Billy says that his training with the US boxing team has been completely suspended.
‘I’m at home in Colorado Springs on my own, practicing social distancing, keeping myself away from everybody, isolating myself so I don’t pass on anything or pick up anything,’ he said. ‘Our whole team has been sent home. The Olympic Training Centre is closed. Nobody is allowed other than for necessities.’
Looking towards home, he urged people to take efforts to contain the virus seriously and in particular asked young people to play their part.
‘It’s important, maybe particularly for the youth of Wexford and the youth of 2020, they can have a major impact on this virus and helping to fight it, by staying at home; by staying away from each other,’ he said. ‘For a few weeks, if we do this, we could wipe this out. The last thing in the world you want to do is pass something on to your grandparents or some of your friend’s grandparents.’
‘So please be careful, look after each other. Unfortunately we’ve got to stay away from each other, but it’ll be for a short while hopefully, until we master and beat this disease.’