Sun shines for pub in Spain, but the outlook is bleak for Irish namesake
TWO Irish pubs with the same name over the door. McGuinness’s pub in Spain, the country which has Europe’s highest coronavirus rate, is allowed to open while McGuinness’s pub in Donegal, where cases are low, is still shut after five months.
McGuinness’s The Irish Pub in San Luis de Sabinilla was opened by Michael McGuinness, originally from Crossmaglen, and his fiancée Danielle Carroll, from Newry, in 2016.
The couple say the pandemic has hit pubs in the area but they will be able to keep going thanks to the local custom. Unlike larger bars in the area, they won’t have to rely on tourists.
Speaking to the MoS, Danielle said: ‘They capped the opening times to 1am. We’re usually open until 3am so we will miss out on those two hours, but the more drink that’s taken it’s difficult to control social distancing, so I can understand the cap.
‘I feel very sorry for the pubs back in Ireland, it’s been five months though, I don’t know how they expect these businesses to survive and make a living after everything. Hopefully, it goes back to normal.
‘The lucky thing with us here is that we aren’t in a big tourist area, it’s all locals really. We’re doing pretty good but a few big restaurants and busy bars have had to close here.’
Spain still has the highest incidence of Covid in the EU, at 205.5 per 100,000 in the past 14 days, while Ireland’s has climbed to 32.3, overtaking Sweden which now stands at 28.9.
The Costa del Sol recorded 469 cases of coronavirus last week. Co. Donegal had 25 cases in the last two weeks,
Spain is allowing its bars and restaurants to open but they have to guarantee a minimum safe distance of 1.5 metres between patrons at the bar and when they are eating at tables, the maximum number of diners is limited to 10.
Establishments have to close by 1am with no patrons allowed to enter from midnight onwards.
Ireland is the only country in Europe where ‘wet’ pubs– those which do not serve food – remain completely closed.
Johnny McGuinness runs McGuinness’s Bar in Culdaff, Co. Donegal. The pub has been in his family for generations, and he is incredibly frustrated with the regulations in place here.
‘For us to be the only country in all of Europe not to be afforded the opportunity to prove ourselves, it’s ridiculous,’ he said. ‘It’s another example of the Irish government implementing laws without consideration for its people and its businesses.
‘We don’t have a problem with social distancing. We’re willing to do whatever we can in the fight against Covid. We’re not helping by staying closed, we’re just enabling the Government to look like they’re doing their best but they’re not really.’