Leo’s first one at the bar-ber
Joy as pubs & hairdressers open
IRELAND raised a glass to Phase Three of reopening the nation as pubs, restaurants and hairdressers ended months of lockdown yesterday.
Up to 100,000 employees were welcomed back to work while families across the country were reunited as travel limits were lifted.
Many grandparents were meeting the 11,000 new “lockdown babies” for the first time, while for others the reopening of thousands of pubs and restaurants and the chance of a haircut marked a day of liberation.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar was among the first into the chair at Lauris at T.read and Co barbers in Dublin’s Temple Bar.
He tweeted: “Lunchbreak haircut. At last. Please support small businesses to help people get back to work. Now at Cabinet to discuss Covid and July jobs stimulus.”
The famous Boar’s Head in Dublin has been the scene of many a celebration for sporting stars including Open champion Shane Lowry and the Dublin GAA team.
Yesterday, staff and locals described the reopening as a cross between an All-ireland and Christmas Day.
Andy Williams from Goatstown in the capital was enjoying his first pint since the shutters came down 106 days ago with friends Sean Fitzgerald and Liam Holding from Stoneybatter.
He said: “First since March 13. We missed the craic 100%, obviously you could meet people outside but it’s not the same. Nothing beats a pint of Guinness.
“I was here 10 minutes before the lads and I managed to get one in.
“It was emotional sitting in the corner on your own but it was nice. It’s like the taste of normality coming back.”
Pal Sean added: “It’s like Christmas Day, that’s what it feels like. It’s a bit of normality coming back and that feels good.
“I missed going to the pub with my dad the most. It’s more than the pint, it’s the normality – it’s like some of the girls have with Penneys coming back.”
Other Boar’s Head regulars among the first to book in were John Byrne and Donal Mara from Roundwood who were enjoying lunchtime food and pints with Daniel Kearney and Ciaran
Murphy from Glasnevin.
Meanwhile, owner Hugh Hourican said the day felt like a celebration.
He added: “There is a lot of positivity.
“People are just delighted to get out, have their first pint, meet other people and have a bit of food. You can feel the buzz around the city.
“It’s the novelty of coming out, getting the first pint and the bit of lunch.” He predicted pubs will make a comeback as up to 3,000 that serve food opened up yesterday with others waiting until July 20.
Hugh said: “I think it will work out. There is a big future for the Irish pub. We’re just very happy to be back. It has been a very positive experience.”
Yesterday also saw people flock to hairdressers to get their lockdown locks cut.
There were lengthy queues at barber shops while salons have been booked for weeks in advance.
Some were seeking hasty repair jobs, having suffered DIY misadventures during the four months of closure. Laura Grufferty, a star of Gogglebox Ireland, was back in her salon, House of LA, in Athy, Co Kildare.
She joked: “There were definitely lots of botch jobs done.
“We are high-fiving the women who didn’t do the botched colouring.”
Laura said the last number of weeks had been “hectic” as she prepared for the reopening, with a range of new safety measures implemented, including screens and PPE.
She added: “It’s been very expensive. It’s crippling for a business when they have not been making money but for the safety of my staff and also the customers that come in here, it was a no brainer. We had to take that hit and just put that in.”
Her sister-in-law Kathleen was one of the first back into one of the salon’s chairs.
She said: “I’m very excited to be back and feel normal again. I was in at 9am this morning, it was great – one of the first.”
President of the Irish Hairdressers’ Federation, Danielle Kennedy, was back running her Lloyds salons in Waterford and Wexford.
The business is down to around 50% capacity with new guidelines but the first lucky customers through the doors were happy to be back.
Danielle said: “We are about 35% capacity for today because we said we would go easy for day one and see how it went, but it’s tipping along nicely thank God.
“We are getting great feedback from the clients so far.
“They said they were anxious before but when they came in, they felt safe, they didn’t mind wearing the masks, the experience felt the same. We’ve had lots of clients saying they are going for a coffee or lunch after. This is their first day properly out and about and in town. Everyone is in great form.
“The stylists aren’t rushing from one to the other so the clients are getting a lot of personal attention which is great. We haven’t had any homemade disasters so far.
“A lot of our older clients who are more or less white and had been dying their hair decided in lockdown, ‘I am going to rock the white and grey’.” Danielle’s salon still has 600 people on a waiting list for the coming weeks.
But her fear is that many of Ireland’s 2,800 hair and beauty salons will never reopen due to reduced capacity.
She said: “We have noticed a good few salons that decided not to reopen.
“They just couldn’t make it viable at 50% capacity.”
Sporting activities have also got the green light to resume along with creches, weddings and gatherings
of 50 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.
And gyms, pools, and cinemas were also part of the great reopening, while small congregations can attend church services again.
Former Mayo footballer Conor Mortimer – who runs the gym and leisure centre at the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth, Co Kildare – was happy with day one of being back.
He said: “We’ve had 400 gone through today so far.
“That’s quite busy to be fair.
We’re very happy.”
We haven’t had any homemade disasters so far
DANIELLE KENNEDY YESTERDAY