Ireland’s outdoor summer goes full steam ahead

Cinemas, theatres, outdoor catering areas reopen

From today, 7 June, people across Ireland can appease both their spiritual and physical cravings in public after months of wearisome restrictions, as cinemas and theatres are reopening in step with outdoor areas of restaurants, cafés and bars.  

Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres can also admit individuals for training, for the first time this year, as part of the next stage of the country’s unlocking under the Resilience and Recovery: The Path Ahead plan. The summer reopening gives respite not just to consumers, but also to service providers, meaning that thousands of employees can return to work.

Pedestrian-friendly streets  

Local authorities (Dublin, Cork and Galway among others) have spearheaded efforts to facilitate the outdoor-focused summer of 2021 by pedestrianising streets and installing additional public toilets and garbage bins in city centres, beaches and other locations. This is being done with funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and with the aim of keeping outdoor spaces clean and enjoyable by the public through the provision of adequate infrastructure and facilities.  

Commenting on the topic, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien said, as quoted by the government news service merrionstreet.ie:

“Our local authorities have a lead role on the management of our public spaces and they are working incredibly hard to deal with the challenges of this summer’s outdoor focus in a responsive and balanced way.

Across the country they continue to provide for additional public spaces to facilitate outdoor dining, with the costs associated with outdoor dining licenses now waived for the year. Other measures being taken range from the provision of additional parklets outside premises to the pedestrianisation of streets.”

Minister of State for Local Government and Planning Peter Burke paid tribute to the Local Authority teams who are out cleaning streets several times a day. He urged the people to take personal responsibility by refraining from littering and crowding and adhering to all other public health guidelines.  

Pilot live events with crowds

The easing of Covid-19 restrictions in June will be accompanied by four pilot live events with increased spectator numbers. The aim is to trial logistical arrangements and protective measures for the wider reopening of culture and sports throughout July and August. As reported by public broadcaster RTÉ, the first of these events on Thursday will bring 500 people to a music concert at the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin.

On Friday, three sporting events will follow. A rugby game with 1,200 spectators will pit Leinster against Dragons at Dublin’s RDS Arena. Not leaving football fans behind, Shamrock Rovers will face off Finn Harps at Tallaght Stadium in South Dublin in front of 1,000 die-hard fans, while football club Cork City will play Cabinteely at Turner's Cross in Cork in front of 600 people.