Stamullen

CURRENT CRISIS

One thing that this Corona Virus has brought about along this particular part of East Meath is that since the current Government `Lock-Down` and the restrictions on people`s movements, Gormanston Beach has never witnessed so many visitors in many a year as it has over the past month or six weeks. On Thursday afternoon last, May 28th the strand at Gormanston and Knocknagin was heavily crowded with people of all ages and later on in the evening dozens of youths could be seen travelling back home along the Gormanston road back into Stamullen, social distancing being kept in most cases to a maximum of around 30cm or 12 inches.

The news is good that the virus, at least for now, appears to be dying away to some extent and the lifting of some more restrictions on the populace is looking good as we head into the month of June. By the time you read this, the June Bank Holiday Weekend will have just passed and, as I write this piece now, Friday morning, May 29th, the weather predictions for the weekend are pretty good with sunshine and warmth which can result in more problems with the congregation of large numbers of people who, by now, are getting more and more restless and with many `jumping-the-gun` ahead of more of these restrictions on people`s movements being lifted. Isn’t it wonderful that, with such fine weather, we can all walk outdoors, up the streets, down the roads and lanes and fields and parks and woodlands of Ireland following the initial `LockDown` by our Government back in March.

We can go and play golf, tennis, go fishing and cycling and many are continuing to go back to work while the business, industrial and commercial enterprises are also in preparation for a reopening in the foreseeable future.

Heat waves, soaring of late into the mid 20`s has also played its role in keeping many people sane, so that the great outdoors can be availed of. Children and go outside and those in self cocooning can also step outside and avail of the restrictive measures of movements that are also in place.

However, here`s the thing! What about those who cannot get out, those older folk who are `inmates` but not `prisoners`; those older folk who have done absolutely nothing wrong. Those older people who have worked hard, sometimes to the bone and reared a family, often striving for many years so that their lives would be made more comfortable as they advance in years.

These same people; our own Senior Citizens; the Elders within our Communities, the people who brought us up and helped to provide us with what we have and who we are today. They haven’t seen their offspring or held them or cuddled and hugged them or their grandchildren or their great grandchildren since early March. These Senior Citizens walk to a window from their Resident Care Facility Home and stand there and wave out at their loved-ones; many of them in various different stages of Dementia and not really knowing what the hell is going on as a staff members or members stand beside them, dressed like something from outer space! Ahead of any economical situation; at the close of the day and the closing days of someone`s life, it certainly isn’t nice to bring it to a close by the waving of hands and the blowing of kisses through a window.