Tipperary’s Lar Corbett says his Thurles pub couldn’t reopen under current rules

Lar Corbett's and Coppingers, Thurles | Photo: Google Maps

“We need the exam paper from the government in order to answer the questions” in terms of social distancing and other guidelines.

So says former Tipp hurler and Thurles pub owner, Lar Corbett, who’s hoping that he might be able to open on July 20th.

It’s understood new measures making it easier for pubs that serve food to reopen would see the 2 metre social distancing reduced to 1 in certain circumstances.

However, Lar has told Tipp Today that because he doesn’t serve food, the rules might be stricter:

“I’m speaking for myself personally. Just say on the 20th of July, if those conditions are still there, it would be a thing that I couldn’t envisage myself opening.

“It wouldn’t pay the bills. It wouldn’t break even week in, week out.

“What you have in pub situations is you have people coming out at 9pm until around 12 or 1am. So you’ve a three or four hour window. Social distancing does not work within a three or four hour window.

“It’s different if you have a business that’s open for 12 hours and there’s people coming throughout the day, the evening and the night. You have a chance then.”