ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland were far-reaching, extending beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to contain it, including political, cultural, and social impacts.

Communications
Following false news and online rumors, including claims that a military-imposed red alert would be implemented from 11:00 am on Monday, March 16, ministers and the Defence Forces' leader called on people to be more responsible about information they shared online and only trust reputable sources.

The Post newspaper indefinitely postponed an increase in postage rates (scheduled for March 18) and announced early hours of work on Fridays for library members to collect their pensions. It also introduced measures to reduce contact between customers and staff, including temporarily suspending the need for delivery recipients to sign for packages. The postal service provider distributed two free postcards per family to those who wanted to contact others elsewhere in the country. Delivery of letters and parcels was delayed, with a request to keep children away. The government excluded The Post's demand to suspend TV license payments.

The telecommunications company eir postponed indefinitely its planned payment on March 31 for eircom.net subscription fees following criticism of its timing (although the company announced the criticism in February, before the virus's impact was known in Ireland).

Broadband surveys continued as part of the National Broadband Plan in Ireland, including ongoing work at one of its main sites in Cavan, from early April.

Culture

Public parades and festivals
St. Patrick's Day parades were canceled due to concerns that they could pose a public health threat. Galway was the last Irish city where these parades took place, as local politicians had delayed making a decision until forced by the government to cancel all events. The Orange Institution canceled its annual parade on July 12 due to the virus and one of those canceled parades was in Rosnalee. On April 29, it was announced that Dublin Pride 2020 would be canceled, with an "interactive digital festival" instead being held. This led to the cancellation of the Ballinasloe Horse Fair on June 26, 2020, scheduled for early October. The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival was also canceled on July 20, 2020, scheduled for September 4.

Galway 2020
The European Commission designated Galway as the European Capital of Culture in 2020, a process that began and had been planned years in advance. After Tawsewitch's announcement in Washington, which closed all cultural institutions until March 29, organizers of Galway 2020 announced the cancellation of some upcoming events, although most were postponed. By March 24, RTÉ reported that "the entire year's plan was at risk." On April 7, RTÉ reported that a phone conference that morning had revealed the temporary layoff of most staff and the creative director for Galway 2020 had ended. By April 10, The Art newspaper reported the cancellation of the entire program.

Literature
The Cork International Poetry Festival, scheduled for March 24-28, was canceled. On March 11, the literary festival "From Mountains to Sea" announced its cancellation due to the virus, which was scheduled for March 26-29.