Willie O’Reilly: Fury at restrictions brings a feral tone to public debate

The most difficult idea to get across to people, from pub owners and restaurateurs to politicians, is the need to be flexible in the battle against Covid-19

Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressing the nation from outside Government Buildings last week. Picture: Julien Behal/RollingNews.ie

“We’re going to hell in a handcart,” my mother was fond of observing at times of crisis. And last week the phrase seemed apt, as the government paused the easing of Covid-19 restrictions and the country set upon itself.

There was an increasingly feral tone to the debate as restaurateurs and publicans took to the airwaves, desperate to get their businesses reopened. For publicans, in particular, the tap has long run dry.

In March 2020, ...