15/07/2020
We've been quiet lately.... mostly because we have majorly mixed feelings about the 'reopening of Ireland, and specifically, our local area, Temple Bar.
Our friends and neighbours have businesses in the area, and the stress and pressure of lockdown has been awful for small businesses- we want to see them prosper. We also live here, and are petrified by the rise in Covid numbers , particularly in Dublin, over the last couple of weeks as measures are relaxed. Looking at the city centre, there are very few indicators that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Temple Bar is a small, twisty Warren of old streets that become full with just a few people strolling around. It's impossible to socially distance, and very few people are wearing masks.
Here is the dilemma- Temple Bar is home to over three and a half thousand people, including two social housing developments. Our community is longstanding (our building is home to multiple generations of the same families and had been a steady community since the late 1890's). The community here has bo choice but to be in this area, to walk through the streets day in, day out, but it's not safe. As pubs reopen, this is getting worse Buskers drawing crowds singing along (already seeing the start of this), people with a few jars on board urinating on our front gates, and too many people in a condensed area ro allow for social distancing. Outdoor seating is being proposed, which will make it impossible to socially distance for residents trying to get to and from their homes.
How do we find a balance? How does this community stay safe? 💚
📷Thanks to for the image! 📷
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Temple Bar
Is this place ever gonna be the same again ?
