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December 15, 2020 t: 0539102441, www.thechronicle.ie
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December 15, 2020
wexford
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December 15, 2020 t: 0539102441, www.thechronicle.ie
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Why we must stay safe this Christmas
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Vaccine is on the way but January lockdown looms This year more than ever, we must remember our loved ones and, according to Government and health experts, the best way to do that is to follow the Covid-19 guidelines and reduce our number of contacts. Between December 18 and January 6, we are all allowed travel outside of County Wicklow, while up to three households will be allowed to meet indoors during this period.
GRAND
After January 6, the Level 3 measures that were in place will come back into effect. Then people will again be asked to stay within the county, other than for work, education or essential reasons, and, if possible, work from home. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Arklow pharmaceutical company Merck has played a key role in the development of the Moderna vaccine.
The plant, which is just over the border in south Wicklow has made one of the key elements used in the vaccine. The Government has agreed an advance purchase agreement of 875,000 doses of the Covid-19 Moderna vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine uses synthetic Ribonucleic acid (RNA) messengers that use genetic code from the coronavirus to prompt human
cells to generate a so-called “spike” protein found on the outside of the virus. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the rollout of the separate Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will begin the week after approval by the European Medicines Agency on Decmber 29, beginning with nursing home residents and healthcare staff.
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| BA L LYG A L LY | CENTRAL SLIEVE DONARD | E U RO PA | | CULLODEN STORMONT
EVERGLADES
Penelope Darcy at the Kilmuckridge Castle Christmas Market
NO EXPIR Y DATE
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COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands
December 15, 2020 A young child is all smiles at Wheelock’s Tree Farm
Turning the page on 50 years in newspapers COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands
FOR more than 50 years Michael Wolsey has been writing columns and comment pieces for newspapers in Ireland and England. He is a regular columnist with this newspaper. A through-the-years selection of these writings has now been published by Amazon. As I Was Saying: Fifty Years of Comment from the Columns of Irish Newspapers is a ramble down memory lane - a wry look at issues
that are sometimes serious, more often humorous, from the changing issues of politics to the changing face of pubs. All royalties from the sale of As I Was Saying: will be donated to NALA, Ireland’s National Adult Literacy Agency. As I Was Saying: Fifty Years of Comment from the Columns of Irish Newspapers is published by Amazon. It can be ordered online from Amazon or Kindle books, in e-reader and paperback formats .
Stay safe this year Continued on next page
However, he warned that “we cannot let down our guard down” on Covid-19 because a vaccine is nearly with us, and that further restrictions may be introduced in January. Speaking on RTÉ, he said the vaccine is a complementary tool to other public health measures and “will add significantly to our armory in putting pressure on this virus”. Mr Martin added that public health teams and doctors will be involved, along with GPs and pharmacists, who, he said, will all be consulted about their involvement. The Taoiseach said that January and February will see a limited volume of vaccines available, but enough for the most vulnerable groups. The bigger volumes will come in March, April and May as other vaccines come on stream and other vaccine manufacturing ramps up around the world, he added. The Taoiseach also warned that we could be heading for further restrictions in January, admitting he’s “concerned” at rising case numbers.
Internet sales soar but local shops fight back
ONLINE consumer spending has taken a huge jump in the county but the local retailers are confident that re-opened shops will bounce back. ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ saw website purchases soar to new heights, a bank has revealed. Data from AIB shows that, at peak, Irish consumers spent €4,500 a minute on clothing during Black Friday and €2,200 a minute buying electronics . Consumers spent 337% more buying clothing online during Black Friday (November 27) compared with a normal day and 336% more buying electrical goods. Shoppers spent an average of €75 per clothing transaction, €119 on electronics, €204 on hardware, €77 on health and beauty and €137 per jewellery transaction on Black Friday. While Cyber Monday (November 30) has now become a major online shopping day, Black Friday still outperforms it in terms of online sales, with 50% more spent during Black Friday than on Cyber Monday.
AIB believes online spending on the two big shopping days was boosted by the closure, under Covid restrictions, of many clothes and electrical shops. Meanwhile shoppers spent over €1bn on groceries during the nationwide lockdown and run up to Christmas to make November the busiest month for grocers since the height of the previous national lockdown in June. New figures from Kantar show that grocery sales growth accelerated to 16.4% during the 12 weeks to November 29. Kantar noted that shoppers spent an extra €82,000 on mince pies over the past four weeks, while sales of Christmas biscuits soared by €793,000. Sales of alcohol also jumped by 33% with an extra €721,000 spent on mixers. Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, Kantar said that shoppers continue to treat themselves to branded products and spent an additional €85m on household names in the latest four weeks.
Minister green lights medical cannabis Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has given the green light for patients who are prescribed medical cannabis products to have their presciptions filled in this country. It means that patients will no longer need to travel to the Netherlands to collect their medication. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, patients or their relatives had to travel to the Netherlands to collect their medical cannabis prescriptions as Dutch authorities allow the filling of individual prescriptions from EU states. A delivery service to Ireland to assist patients of licensed
clinicians in obtaining their prescribed cannabis products was established last April on a temporary basis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Many patients and their families have shared stories with both me and officials in my department about how this initiative has made a huge improvement to their lives,” Mr Donnelly said. “They spoke about the stress of having to travel regularly and the associated health risks with that, as well as their concerns that they would run out of their medication. I am so pleased that these problems will now be a thing of the past for them.”
December 01, 2020
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December 15, 2020
opinion&comment
Shops, like puppies, aren’t just for Christmas - use them or lose them
T
he full re-opening of shops caused a wave of excitement in many homes. Some people got up at dawn to be first in the queue. And they weren’t queuing for exotic items in luxury stores. Penneys seemed to be the favourite port of call and a lot of the shoppers were buying everyday items that were not urgently required. A woman told a radio interviewer she had been too excited to sleep and so was up from 4am. She was heading a Penneys’ queue to buy pyjamas for her children and slippers for herself. All this would seem to be good news for Ireland’s retailers, the ones that operate out of bricks and mortar shops that is. The future looks secure for our downtown stores, those in what Britain calls the high street. But looks can be deceptive . Every December for the past
Michael Wolsey four years I have written about how our shops are faring and each year I have told the same tale of online growth and high street decline with big names falling by the way. Toys R Us, Maplin, Poundworld and Mothercare have all closed their doors. This year they were joined by Debenhams. Pamela Scott has shut half its Irish shops and now Arcadia the company that controls Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Burton - is on the brink of closure. For the first time in Ireland,
spending online has overtaken physical spending. In November 51% of consumer spending was transacted over the internet, according to the money transfer company Revolut, which has a million customers here. Since most shops were closed in November that is hardly surprising, but the figures for October were not very different and Revolut reports that,
despite all the excitement about re-opening, December’s figures continue to favour online shopping. So are we a nation divided between the enthusiasts who get up at four in the morning to join the queue for Penneys and the 51 % who think a shopping trip means moving from the couch to the kitchen where the laptop is? In truth, I suspect there is a huge crossover. Most of us like the idea of real
shops and some of us like the idea of real shopping. But most of us also have days when we just can’t be bothered and lockdowns made those days come around more often. We don’t really need Revolut to confirm the trend or headlines about big name closures to remind us of the consequences. Just take a walk through any provincial town or suburban centre and you will see empty shops, even in the main streets. Some did not join in the big reopening and some will never open again. It is the same story in out-oftown shopping centres. Even before the Covid crisis there was a rash of vacant premises and space once occupied by high-end retailers was being filled by charity shops and seasonal pop-ups. Now even some of those have closed. And it is not just our stores that are vanishing. A lot of office work had already moved awa from town centres and the increase in
working from home has added to the flow. The work of travel agents, insurance brokers, record shops and even bookmakers, is being conducted online and they no longer need downtown premises. Our town centres are being given over increasingly to small service industries such as hairdressers, nail bars and coffee shops. Their future is far from secure. They rely for their existence on office staff and the passing trade of shoppers. Take away the offices and the shoppers and our town centres will die. We will end up with soulless town centres ringed by half-empty shopping malls. I am sure this is not what we want; the early morning queues are proof of that. But it will take more than post-lockdown enthusiasm to save our shops. Like puppies, shops aren’t just for Christmas. If we don’t want to lose them we’ve got to use them - all the year round.
December 15, 2020
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December 15, 2020
Cashback due for mortgages wrongly sold
We pay and will stay with plastic
THE Covid crisis has led to a big increase in contactless payments across Wexford. Some 80% of consumers here have used mostly card to pay for goods and services in-store during the pandemic, according to a report published by Payment Acceptance, a marketing alliance between the Bank of Ireland and EVO Payments International. Before the crisis just 55% of local consumers say they used contactless payment. Card payment has been encouraged by many shops to avoid contact with coins and notes. The ability to tap and pay has further reduced contact. It seems likely that the trend towards contactless payments will continue when the pandemic has ended. Around 50% of consumers believe they will be cashless in the next five years or already consider themselves to be, according to Payment Acceptance. It reports that almost half of all consumers believe that either some or all physical cash should be withdrawn in the next 10 years.
Jessica, Amia and Owen Sharlott at the Demspey, and Alicia Nolan at Geraldine and Rebecca Ferns Confirmation Wheelock’s Drive Thru-Christmas Experience in Enniscorthy
Eamonn and Clare Murphy enjoy a stroll along Wexford Quays
Nathan Lambert in Market Square in Enniscorthy
Looking for a tutor? School Is Easy is here to help you Advertorial As we battle to cope with the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 regulations, home-based learning has taken on a new importance. Many parents who want their children to enjoy the benefits of one-to-one tuition are, nevertheless, nervous about having a stranger in their home or sending young students to a tuition centre. School is Easy (SIE) can solve that problem. We can offer one-to-one or group grinds for Primary, Junior Certificate or Leaving Certificate school students at a time that works for you and your family. We offer the following subjects, from Primary to Secondary to Specialist Third Level courses: Irish/Gaelige, English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, German, Spanish, History, Geography, Business Studies, Economics, Design and Technology, Music, and Physical Education . Going to university and dreading the college exams? No problem, we have skilled and experienced tutors to help every student.
We provide safe, online tutorials that are recorded so that your child can future reference any topic covered. When you work with SIE, you will get nothing but the best. All of our tutors have formal education, classroom experience and a passion for teaching. For senior subjects we use college and university instructors with a Masters degree. The choice is yours when it comes to the style of tutoring and our range of subjects is broad. We don’t use generic tutoring lessons. We customise each programme based on the student’s needs, goals and capacity and we take care to match students with the right tutors. We are easy to work with. We screen tutors for you. We identify learning deficiencies and we get results . Our certified tutors will provide an initial assessment, if you need it, to ascertain your child’s requirements. Call us today on 01 556 3553 to book a consulation. We will be delighted to match you with a tutor.
HUNDREDS of homeowners in Wexford could be in line for substantial compensation because their mortgage was mis-sold by banks during the Celtic Tiger years. This is the view of mortgage expert Ben Hoey, a Chartered Certified Accountant and former investment banker. He claims that many mortgages were mis-sold across the county and that compensation could be as much as €40,000 per mortgage, based on a national average mortgage of €270,000 at the time. A mis-sold mortgage is one where the bank took no proper consideration of the suitability of the loan for the borrower and no assessment of their ability to repay. Characteristics of a missold mortgage include: *A mortgage ending after retirement age; *No proof of income requested (also known as self-certification); *No evidence of ability to pay;
*Interest only payments with no plan for the repayment of the capital sum borrowed. “A substantial number of mortgages sold between 20022010 in Wexford were totally unsuitable for the consumers,” said Ben Hoey . “The issuing banks did not follow the rules and principles set out under the various Consumer Protection Codes, Codes of Practice, internal handbooks and Central Bank guidelines. “From my experience, misselling was widespread before 2010, but particularly in the years 2005 to and 2008. The mis-selling of mortgages is well established in the UK where compensation for consumers has been obtained through the UK Financial Services Ombudsman.’’ Mr Hoey said compensation for mis-sold mortgages is available for homeowners in Wexford through the complaints process of the Irish Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman.
oped in Gorey, Enniscorthy and New Ross. “Wexford Rape Crisis is a client-centred support service for those who may have been affected by domestic, sexual or gender-based violence, including women, men, young people and all persons of different sexual or gender identities,” its website says. “Violence and sexual abuse in relationships must always be viewed as an abuse of Human Rights. “It should not be rationalised or minimised and there must never be an acceptable or tolerable level of violence. “Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, irrespective of age, race, income or employment status. Each year, ESB’s Energy for Generations Fund provides more than €1m in direct assis-
tance through a quarterly fund to organisations working in the areas of homelessness, suicide prevention, educational access and support. As part of a range of Covid-19 initiatives, ESB increased this funding by €250,000 to provide emergency support to organisations around the country in response to the pandemic. This quarterly round includes €20,000 for specific Christmas events including the provision of Christmas Day dinner to those impacted by homelessness, organised by the Knights of St Columbanus. Monies are also being distributed to the Capuchin Day Centre, Cork Penny Dinner, Inner City Helping Homeless and City Church Belfast for similar Christmas provisions.
Rape crisis centre to share €415,000 fund
Wexford Rape Crisis is to share in a €415,000 fund that will allow them with the construction of a new building. ESB has awarded €415,000 to charity and voluntary organisations across the island of Ireland as part of the final round of its 2020 Energy for Generations Fund. Wexford Rape Crisis was set-up in 1995 as the Wexford Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Service as an indirect result of the Kilkenny Incest Investigation, providing a free counselling service for survivors of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence and their families in the Co Wexford area. The service quickly expanded as more and more survivors sought counselling. With the increased numbers, outreach services were devel-
December 15, 2020
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December 15, 2020
insideback
Brexit is back with a bang
I
have to admit that Brexit slipped off my radar for large parts of 2020, having loomed large on it for most of the previous few years. It came back into view last week though, as the talks on a future trade deal between the UK and the EU went down to the wire through the weekend. Obviously Brexit had slipped from top billing in 2020 due to worries about Covid-19, and perhaps the good news about the Covid vaccines helped Brexit scramble back up the media pecking order as much as the looming deadline for securing a trade deal. At this stage Brexit is a done deal, it’s just the post-Brexit trade environment after the interim period that was being sorted out. As the week progressed it was clear that the situation was on a knife-edge, a political and financial knife-edge. Nobody wants to be poorer or less powerful going forward, especially after the ravages the aforementioned Covid-19 has wreaked on our economies.
Yvonne, Olivia (6) and Robert Leonard (5) at the launch of Electric Ireland’s announcement that it will credit the bills of approximately ten thousand of its registered vulnerable customers with €100 credit. Pic: Andres Poveda There was a ‘transfer deadline day’ feel about the weekend. Who would get the best deal, the UK or the EU? Would there be no deal, or a
fudged deal that wasn’t really a deal? The stumbling block seemed to be fishing rights, and Boris was bringing out the heavy
artillery – literally, in the form of the British Navy – to try to threaten his European neighbours. Talk of deploying the navy lost
the UK any remaining shred of sympathy they had from me. The symbolism of this was terrible, it was like something Trump would do – but then
Trump and Boris are two peas from the same populist pod. It was war symbolism, directed against a European project that has brought the continent decades of unprecedented peace and prosperity. I know who’s thought processes and logic are skewed, and it is not those of our European allies. A trade deal that veered too much in favour of the UK would be a disaster for the EU. Aside from anything else, it would get other EU countries thinking about whether they should leave, thus undermining the European project, which as I said above has been good for us all. Brexit should never have happened. It was an example of populism running roughshod over reasoned debate, resulting in a debacle that couldn’t be overturned; a bit like Donald Trump’s election as US President in 2016. Somebody gets richer and more powerful by orchestrating these charades, but it certainly isn’t the ordinary citizen. - Brian Quigley
December 15, 2020
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December 15, 2020
WILDLIFE
ninenottomiss
Mamma Mia!
book of the week
with Justin Ivory
It’s December and officially winter and with it comes an influx of visitors from Scandinavia. Sporting spiky hairdos, heavy eye-makeup and some flashy outer-ware between them, these tourists could well be a raggle-taggle bunch of punks, goths and new romantics! So, who are they and why are they here? They are wild foragers and they are here to feast on our food. In this case they are wild foragers of the feathered and non-humankind, so have a perfect right to stuff themselves on mother nature’s larder. This mobile marauding club consists of a trio of members – Fieldfare, Redwing and Waxwing.
HOROSCOPES
tv show of the week film of the week
as i wAS SAYING by Michael Wolsey
Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney BBC1, 9.20pm, Saturday December 19
Wonder woman 1984 In cinemas now
For more than 50 years Michael Wolsey has been writing for newspapers in Ireland and England — including this newspaper. This collection is a ramble down memory lane, a wry look at issues that are sometimes serious, more often humorous. The articles open a window on recent social history with all its fads and fashions. The changing issues of politics and the changing face of pubs get their place alongside the author’s frequent battles with public transport and modern technology. This is a book to dip into — to read, re-read and enjoy. It is published by Amazon and can only be ordered online, in e-reader and paperback.
IN a world exclusive, two of the biggest names in entertainment come together for a special one-off show, as the music icon is interviewed by the Golden Globe-winning actor. McCartney talks about his writing process, which has produced some of the best-loved and most performed songs ever. As a producer and musician himself, Idris is fascinated by the Beatles legend’s prolific output and delves deep to find out what inspires him to continue to innovate creatively, as he releases his 26th post-Beatles album, McCartney III.
Wonder Woman 1984 — or just WW84 is the sequel to the 2017 movie which made a big splash and screamed out for a follow-up. Why is it called Wonder Woman 1984? Drum roll please . . . because it is set in 1984. Perhaps the producers thought that the Generation Z viewers, who only care about their own futures and very little else, would be surprised to know the eighties actually existed. Or maybe it’s just a way to sneak in a little history lesson and give them a break from cancelling anyone over the age of 23. Otherwise, expect to see a wonderful woman kick some serious ass. Which is no bad thing.
IDEA of the week
RECIPE of the week
family film of the week
TaurusChange is inevitable. Believe you can prosper. It’s easier to finish old projects now. Generosity looks good on you. GeminiConnect with neighbors, friends and community groups. Contribute to a team effort. A goal may seem distant or blocked. CancerKeep your wits about you to handle a mess at work. Take charge for the results you want. The action is behind the scenes. LeoYour travels and studies could include traffic, obstacles or barriers to advancement. Keep calm and carry on.
Fieldfare (Photo Justin Ivory) The Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) is a large, colourful thrush, like our Mistle Thrush in size, shape and behavior. They particularly like to feed on Hawthorn berries.
Redwing (Photo Andreas Trepte www.phot-natur.net) The Redwing (Turdus iliacus) is also a member of the thrush family. Smaller than our Song Thrush, they have a very distinctive creamy stripe above the eye (supercilium) and orange-red flank/underwing markings. They roam across the countryside feeding in fields and hedgerows and only venture into gardens in the coldest of weather.
AriesTravel could interfere with personal routines, although new views inspire. Avoid expensive missteps. Consider long-term dreams and ambitions.
goal mile goalglobal.org/goal-mile/
Sausage with winter veg mash bbcgoodfood.com
come away In cinemas now
FOR almost 40 years the GOAL Mile has seen tens of thousands of people run or walk a mile to raise funds for GOAL at Christmas. It has brought people together in villages, towns and cities across Ireland to help others. This year, GOAL is asking everyone to run or walk their own mile, wherever they can, over the Christmas period. So, even though we have to stay apart, we can still stand together for the world’s most vulnerable people. To keep the GOAL mile running, log on to the website and register to take part on December 25th and 26th.
AS Christmas approaches and the focus is all on the big day, it’s all too easy to take the eyes off the little prizes, the comfort food that will warm up the winter evenings mid-week. There are lots of variations on this classic, but we like this one because it includes a splash of veg and, well, before Christmas that’s no bad thing for the waistline. The veg, in this instance, is shredded sprout. Did some mention sprouts already? Yes. Sorry. But it is almost Christmas.
THIS fantasy drama includes Michael Caine and Angelina Jolie in its stellar cast and is a loose homage to the stories of Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Here, Peter and Alice are brother and sister in biracial family (of course) filled with all manner of adult problems — the parents, Jack (David Oyelowo) and Rose (Angelina Jolie) deal with addiction, money problems, booze and the death of a child, while Peter and Alice escape into a whimsical fantasy world full of familiar elements from their own storybooks. It sounds bonkers. But for Christmas, an absolute hoot. Bring the hip flask.
album of the week
event of the week
podcast of the week
VirgoRely on trusted teammates. Do the homework behind a financial decision. Consider costs and consequences. Collaborate and adapt. LibraSupport your partner and be supported. Resolve a challenge, navigate a change or overcome an obstacle together. ScorpioSlow down to avoid missteps or accidents. Resist impulsive moves and clean up messes immediately. Focus on physical health and activities. Sagittarius-
Romantic ideals and fantasies may not match the current reality. Things don’t go as planned. Prioritize love. CapricornFamily comes first. Expect messes, chaos or disruption at your house. Don’t divulge secrets. Keep your objective in mind.
Waxwing (Photo Justin Ivory) Last, but not least, is the Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulous) who get their name from the bright red tips on some of their secondary feathers that is reminiscent of wax seals used on letters in bygone times. They have a fondness for red berries, particularly those of the Rowan tree, quite a few of which can be found in urban and suburban areas.
taylor swift Evermore
enchanted garden winter lights lafcadiohearngardens.com
spooked! Spotify and all other sources
THE second surprise release from the singersongwriter in 2020 features contributions from Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Haim, Marcus Mumford, The National, Justin Vernon, and William Bowery (aka Joe Alwyn). The album follows the remarkable success of Swift’s brilliant Folklore — an album that came slightly out of leftfield and confounded some who wanted to hate it on principle. Evermore is equally divisive and equally brilliant.
NOW in its fifth year, the Enchanted Garden is quickly becoming one of the top Winter Light Festivals in Ireland. This year, the experience is a one way walk through the gardens and is limited to one hour. These unique Japanese Gardens in Tramore are lit at night by a sea of twinkling lights, animal sculptures and tree and foliage lighting, creating a magical winter wonderland. Tickets must be booked and are selling rapidly.
This creepy podcast invites you to gather ‘round the digital campfire as people tell the true spooky stories that really happened to them. These are all encounters that have happened to people in their own lives, so whether yo believe them or not is up to you. Either way, this is sure to beat a game of charades after Christmas dinner or provide an escape from the in-laws if you can get some quiet time out.
AquariusShare the news and clear up any miscommunications immediately. A controversy could have a silver lining. Keep your tone polite and respectful. PiscesDon’t spend your income before you get it. Look for hidden opportunities in a chaotic situation. Monitor cash flow carefully to avoid shortfalls.
December 15, 2020
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thechronicle.ie December 15, 2020
Local hotels see very little festive cheer
The latest industry survey from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) reveals that hotel and guesthouses are reporting occupancy levels of just 22% nationally for December, as bookings plunge compared to the same period last year. Chair of the IHF South East branch, Colm Neville says that occupancy levels are expected to be 25% in the South East. With inter-county travel prohibited until December 18, Mr Neville says that hotels continue to operate under severe restrictions resulting in historically low room bookings in the lead up to Christmas. This is having a knock-on effect on food and beverage revenues and comes at a time when bookings for corporate events and Christmas parties have been wiped out due to Covid restrictions.
Following a 91% drop in revenues in November, hotels nationally are now projecting a 72% drop on average for the first three weeks of December with 44% expecting falls in excess of 75%. Despite these record drops in revenue for December, an anomaly in how the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme is structured means that these hotels will be excluded from the scheme. The reason being cited by Government is that people are not being restricted from entering a hotel, they are simply being restricted from ‘leaving their county’ in order to enter a hotel. The effect of this ‘nuanced’ interpretation of the wording is that most hotel accommodation business is being restricted but accommodation providers
are specifically excluded from qualifying under Level 3 restrictions even where they meet the required 75% drop in turnover criteria¹. Mr Neville called on the Government to review this enormous shortcoming in the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) as a matter of urgency as many hotels project revenue drops in excess of 75%. “Currently accommodation providers can only accept bookings from within their county, which represents only a very small proportion of hotel accommodation at this time of year. “The result is that, in order to comply with Government restrictions, accommodation providers are required to restrict the vast majority of their usual customer base.”
Monart spa reopens
Monart Destination Spa will reopen on December 16 for the exclusive use of Wexford residents until the country re-opens for nationwide travel on December 18. Wexford locals will be able to enjoy dining, day spa packages or escape for a night or maybe even two at the 5-star Destination Spa which was named in the top
1% of hotels in the world by Tripadvisor earlier this year. Speaking of re-opening again this year Liam Anthony Griffin says, “We are delighted to re-open Monart again this year. “2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone; however, we are thrilled to welcome back our team, and we look forward to welcoming guests
to Monart from near and far as travel restrictions allow.” Ireland’s only destination spa is situated in 100 acres of lush countryside just outside Enniscorthy in County Wexford. To book a ‘Wexford Moment’ at Monart call 053 923 8999 and for further details on the award-winning, 5-star Destination Spa see www.Monart.ie
Jessica, Amia and Owen Sharlott at the Stephanie Dooley, Katie Carr and Caitriona Ferns Confirmation McGratton at Kilmuckridge Castle Christmas Market
Katie Audsley and Eva Hurley at the switch on of Murrintown Christmas lights
Katie Connors at the Santa Village in Market Square, Enniscorthy
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December 15, 2020
We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by
Freemans Jr 24/12/1828
Freemans Jr 06/12/1828
Freemans Jr 13/12/1851
Freemans Jr 01/12/1828
Irish Ind 17/12/1934
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thechronicle.ie December 15, 2020