“They won’t close me down”.
The defiant words of Mullinahone publican, TJ McInerney, who says he’s “seriously distressed” at the ongoing delays to the reopening of ‘wet’ pubs across the country.
The National Public Health Emergency Team has recommended that pubs that don’t serve food should again remain closed.
TJ, who runs TJ Mac’s Bar, told Tipp Today earlier that he’d be interested in developing a kitchen to help his business comply with public health guidelines.
He feels however that publicans are being treated as “incapable” of playing their part in containing the virus:
“I’m going to put in a kitchen. I will provide a service for Mullinahone. They won’t close me down. I’m defiant, and I’m sending out a defiant message to Mícheál Martin – ‘you won’t close me down’.
“I spent a sizeable amount of money refurbishing my pub so that I can facilitate social distancing. I’m distressed, I’m upset for my customers. These are customers that usually come into me and they’re out of their routine. If they miss a day, I’m knocking on their door.”
Listen back to Denis Leahy and Tj McInerney on Tipp Today with Fran Curry :
