Fantastic to see town centre bustling again
‘WE’RE delighted and, truth be told, quite nervous too,’ said Glyde Inn owner Conor O’Neill as they prepare to re-open on July 8th.
‘We closed our doors on March 15th at the beginning of the ‘ lockdown’ period. It was indescribably strange to shut the doors after years of welcoming locals and visitors alike who came to enjoy our delicious food and stunning views,’ Conor told the Argus.
‘It was heartbreaking to have to tell our loyal and hard-working staff that there would be no work for the foreseeable. Like many people we faced hard decisions and very worrying times as the weeks turned into months with no clear end in sight.’
He added that despite the uncertainty for the future, ‘we were able to take a lot of good from the time at home.’
‘I was able to spend quality time with my family and witness all the incredible little milestones my 10 month old son achieved every day! My world slowed down, I learned how to relax and, like most people in the country, developed a new and eager interest in gardening!’
However, Conor’s gardening endeavours have had to take a back seat in the last couple of weeks as he participated in numerous webinars and Zoom meetings with industry experts and fellow business managers.
‘ To prepare for running The Glyde Inn in the era of the ‘new normal’ we have made every effort to ensure that we are compliant with all the (ever changing) guidelines. Our staff have received Covid Awareness Training and we have talked endlessly about the changes that must be made to our workday routines. The need to maintain social distancing has pushed many businesses towards embracing new technologies.’
He explained they have introduced an easy to use online reservations system on their website www.theglydeinn.ie.
DUNDALK town centre has come alive. After three months of lockdown, the town is busier than ever as shoppers opt to stay local. There’s an almost holiday feel as people gather to the Market Square and sit outside those local coffee shops that have already opened as takeaways.
‘It’s fantastic to be back,’ says Rachel Curran, who works in Houstons, Clanbrassil Street. ‘It’s lovely to see people back in town and supported local shops.’
She is delighted to welcome back regular customers. ‘It’s good to know that they are well,.
While it’s a somewhat different environment in the popular department store - the changing rooms are closed, there is hand sanitiser at the entrance and markings on the floor to remind customers of the importance of social distancing.
Leon O’Callaghan is also glad to be back at work. ‘It’s nice to be back to a routine and normality. It’s good to be back talking to people and to have a bit of craic with our customers and work colleagues who we hadn’t seen in over 12 weeks.’
It’s been a busy few weeks since they re-opened. ‘People were glad to see the shops open.’
Down the street Conor Lynch is also pleased to be welcoming customers back to the family run store. ‘It’s really good to be back at work.’
Business has been good too, he reports. ‘We were really busy the first week and the second week was coming up to Father’s Day, which really helped trade.’
The shop is facing into their busiest time of year as parents buy school uniforms for the new school year. Although there is still uncertainty about how and when schools will return, Conor says that hasn’t deterred parents from buying uniforms.
‘Everyone is buying as normal and our ‘club’ is flying.’
Photo: Aidan Dullaghan/Newspics
He says they are getting great support from local shoppers. ‘We have some people coming in saying they have vouchers at home, but they are saving them for later and spending cash as they want to give us a leg up.’
The shop will be launching a website offering a click and collect service for school wear in the coming weeks.
‘It’s great to see people and to talk to people again,’ says Biddy McKevitt of Trimmings fabric and haberdashery shop. ‘ The weather has been brilliant which is bringing people into town. People are just glad to get out.’
With growing calls for the wearing of masks to be made mandatory on public transport, Biddy has a wide stock of fabric masks, as well as material for making masks and scrubs.
The popular 23 Seats cafe has already re-opened and Alan Graham is looking forward to welcoming customers back into the cafe. ‘We have had to take out some tables and will have to keep the bar area clear,’ he says.’ We will be open from 9am to 4pm every day and I am looking forward to seeing old familiar faces again.’