7 ways to enjoy a socially distant bank holiday weekend
When the days tend to meld into each other, making a bank holiday weekend into a special occasion may feel a bit beside the point. Yet with the mercury reportedly heading for a whopper 26˚ this weekend, there’s certainly cause for celebration.
We’ve figured out how to make the most of the good weather, while still staying socially responsible and adhering to national guidelines.
1. Firstly, research the public spots within your immediate area with the
2kmfromhome.com website. This will literally show you a radius of your house, once you input a specific distance (2km, 5km or 20km). After that, it’s a question of locating green spaces, seaside spots and friends with nice big back gardens. Beware: some of the country’s best-known public spaces are likely to be heaving this weekend, so think off-radar instead.
2. Nothing says bank holiday like a BBQ and you’ll have great weather to round off your sausage links and burgers. Ideally, keep to within your social bubble. Safefood Ireland
(safefood.ie) have delivered their rules for a safe BBQ: keep raw meats completely separate from cooked meats; always wash your hands after handling raw meat; leave frozen food to thaw out fully on the bottom shelf of the fridge; light your BBQ well before you want to cook on it, and check your meats are piping hot all the way through before serving.
3. This weekend usually means a visit to Bloom in the Phoenix Park, yet given that the much-loved event has been cancelled for 2020, organisers are suggesting the next best thing. Instead, the festival is moving online with a number of events, talks and Q&As, which will encourage folks to tend to their own gardens. From looking after houseplants to preparing back garden picnics, Bloom’s experts will inspire everyone from the most green-fingered to novices.
“Covid-19 has brought us many challenges, but it has also given some of us more time to experience the joy of gardening at what is the most exciting time of year for growing and planting,” says Gary Graham, Show Manager at Bord Bi Bloom. See bordbiabloom.com.
4. Speaking of which, put your garden to good use with a posh picnic. Local cafes across the land are offering takeaway ‘hampers’ of fare, which will take the hassle out of preparing anything. Slice in Dublin’s Stoneybatter, for instance, is offering their Meal Deal — two savoury tarts with salad, a selection of desserts, and two fruit juices for €35. Sorted.
Facebook.com/SliceD7 has details of their pre-order menu.
5. Bank holidays often mean catching up with a pal or two over a pint. The pubs may still be shut, but several wily publicans are bringing the pint of plain straight to you. Mother Reilly’s pub in Rathmines is doing a roaring trade as they deliver pints on wheels within their 5km radius. Meanwhile, the Silver Key in Cork is selling takeaway pints to locals. Not a pint person? The Kildare-based Nude Wine Club (thenudewineco.ie) are now offering an online wine club.
6. Missing the time-honoured tradition of a weekend of culture? If you need some respite from the great outdoors, the Social Distancing Festival promises a wealth of opera, music, storytelling and theatre live streams (socialdistancingfestival.com has a list of events for this weekend).
7. Certain sports can now be safely enjoyed in the new phase of lockdown, but what if you’re not a golf person, or your tennis serve has seen better days? You could try something entirely new, like footgolf. Much as its name suggests, it’s a mash-up of football and golf, where players kick balls into each hole. Footgolf Dublin has a great open-air course in The Ward (see footgolfdublin.ie), while Kildare revellers can head to the Highfield Golf & Country Club in Carbury to try their hand at the game. See footgolfkildare.ie for information.
‘For a posh picnic, local cafes across the land are offering takeaway “hampers” of fare to save on preparation’