Eerie Easter with streets deserted

BY DANNY COLLINS

This Easter Weekend was like something  out of an eerie film, the streets of Bantry were nearly deserted; most business doors closed and all that could be seen were people going to the supermarkets and pharmacies for their essentials.

Most people were staying inside their 2km radius to do their bit of exercise whether it was out the Abbey or the Ropewalk or out Newtown. It was good to see O’Connor’s Restaurant doing takeaway dinners for homes; this was a bit of a treat for people.

Bantry Red Cross team were watching out for the elderly and vulnerable making sure their needs are met and 2gether4bantryhospital group were collecting food and goodies for our front-line health and emergency services that richly deserve it. Bantry Blues Community Volunteers Group, which was set up two weeks ago, were very busy collecting groceries from the supermarkets in town and delivering to people all over the area also there are many people out there doing their bit just showing a great community spirit.

The local guards are out about also, whether it’s calling on people making sure they are okay, but really their main objective last weekend was holding checkpoints as there was a big worry of an influx of holiday makers to the area.

It would do your heart good when I hear and witnessed people giving accommodation free to frontline staff,  this can be very vital for some staff from our hospitals as they may need an option of places to stay, this has happened in few places around the town so if you do have such  accommodation available, please let me know.

Facebook has had many new members joining with entertainment been provided by local musicians and other bits of entertainment from all over.

This pandemic has to hit its peak and, if people listen to the public health guidelines such as cocooning and staying inside the 2km zone, unless for essential needs, and washing your hands, etc we will see a dip in numbers and, hopefully, on May 5th, our guidelines and restrictions will be made a bit more lenient, so all I am asking ye is to stick with it.

We are in it together and we will come out the other side of it hopefully and be there to tell our youth in years to come the weeks and months that Ireland was nearly shut down due to the corona virus. I don’t think they will believe us!

• Danny Collins is a Bantry-based independent county councillor.