• Contact
  • About
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Region
  • Opinion
AUDIO
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
  • Region
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
North East Bylines
Home News Health

It’s beginning to (not) look a lot like Christmas: greetings from Ireland

After emigrating last summer, Judi Sutherland looks at how Ireland has coped with the recent Covid lockdown

Judi SutherlandbyJudi Sutherland
21-12-2020 11:57 - Updated On 06-04-2022 13:59
in Health, Politics, UK, World News
Reading Time: 5 mins
A A
Christmas in Dublin

Christmas lights in Dublin Photo by PabloBarcelona CC BY-SA 3.0

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

How to get in the mood for the festive season when we are all constrained by Covid-19? I don’t know. Somehow, I can’t get excited by a celebration that involves no friends, no family, no carol singing, no festive meals or drinks parties, and no dressing up. We’ve ordered a turkey, and we seem to have brought a couple of Christmas puddings across the Irish Sea with us when we emigrated last summer, but we haven’t put up a tree or hung any lights outside the house – we’ve left that to the neighbours, who are competing for seasonal illuminations as though there were some kind of prize. I’m humbugging the whole thing this year. I’m not a huge fan of Christmas at the best of times, and this is not the best of times, honestly, is it?

Here in Ireland we had a longer autumn lockdown than you’ve suffered in the UK, including a 5km travel restriction from mid-October to December 1st, and even now, a request to stay within our county. In our case, that would allow us to sample the delights of Dublin City, but we have restrained ourselves, having no wish to actually go looking for the virus, like the famous shellfish vendor; “She died of a fever, and no-one could save her, and that was the end of poor Molly Malone”. We’ve been almost nowhere, but I was glad to get out at the end of lockdown and get a haircut. Making conversation, as you do, I asked my new stylist what she is buying for her partner’s Christmas present – apparently, a Liverpool FC shirt and a voucher for the tattoo shop. I don’t think they’ll do for Him Indoors, so I’d better get thinking.

Ireland has done well in terms of Covid-19 deaths; only 2140 recorded deaths in a population of 4.9 million, or 43 per 100,000, which is less then half the UK rate of 96 per 100,000. There has of course been plenty of soul-searching here on what could have been done differently, but my guess is that these relatively good numbers reflect two things; firstly, a decent track and trace system is in place, with a Covid-19 App that is widely used; and secondly, people are well disposed to complying with the government’s requirements. And, taking a step further back, both of these factors boil down to the same thing; on the whole, the Irish people trust their government. There has been no hint of wrongdoing in the way PPE contracts and the like have been distributed. There has been no scepticism about the reliability or confidentiality of the track and trace app. The Taoiseach appears on television from time to time with clear and measured statements to the people. Last time he very sweetly thanked the children of Ireland for their forbearance. In between times, actual public health experts are often on the TV news, not just making pre-planned statements, but being interviewed fairly rigorously on the arrangements being made for testing, for intensive care beds, and for vaccination. There is no sense that RTÉ or the print journalists are giving the government an easy ride. Most of what we hear is believable.


I’m not yet fully familiar with the political stances of the various newspapers in Ireland, but one thing I have noticed is the lack of poisonous tabloids. I’m well aware of the way the press has shaped the ‘debate’ in the UK on immigration and race. We don’t see any of that here. Not to say there are no racists, or hate crimes, or right-wing loonies, and there have even been a few anti-mask protests in Dublin, but they are few and far between. There is also a higher standard of debate from our members of parliament. It is rare and remarkable when a TD’s tweets cause trouble. One Sinn Féin member, Brian Stanley, has been in double trouble this week, first of all for making disparaging remarks about the gay Tanaiste (and former Taoiseach), Leo Varadkar, and then for a triumphant reference to the death of British soldiers in the fight for Irish independence a hundred years ago. He has been made to apologise. Compare that to the almost daily barrage of ill-informed twittering by British MPs, which is so commonplace now that it is mostly ignored by the media. The British are far more accepting of crass ignorance in their elected politicians, but the poor quality of debate on a range of issues has eroded trust in the government.

So our preparations for Christmas go on, here in North Dublin County, in a half-hearted and socially distanced way. It is going to be quiet here, although if the weather is reasonable, there’s a plan for the two of us to have a Boxing Day Extreme Picnic on Malahide beach, with leftover turkey, and some proper North of England fruitcake and cheese. Although there are forty types of cheese in Irish supermarkets, thirty five of them are cheddar, but after a significant search, we have struck Wensleydale in Marks and Spencer!

We’re hunkered down here in near-lockdown, in our undecorated house, while the neighbours’ Christmas lights can probably be seen from space, but I will go as far as to wish you all Nollaig Shona Daoibh. New Year will bring a whole new set of trials, but let’s try to stay healthy and hopeful over the Christmas season.

Tags: Culture
Previous Post

Parental grief: coping with bereavement at Christmas

Next Post

Trucking hell

Judi Sutherland

Judi Sutherland

Judi Sutherland is a scientist and writer who has lived all over England, including six years in County Durham. In 2020 she emigrated to Dublin as a 'trailing spouse'. Her first book of poetry, 'The Ship Owner's House', was published by Vane Women Press in 2018. Her second poetry book, 'Following Teisa', a journey along the River Tees, was pubished in 2021 by The Book Mill.

Related Posts

Conservative logo on Union flag
Opinion

Immigration policy: how the party of family values truly values your family

byRobin Tudge
December 8, 2023
Gaza Oct 23
Opinion

Gaza’s statistics of death

byDavid Keys
December 7, 2023
hands holding candle
Community

75 years since Universal Declaration of Human Rights: celebration at Sunderland Minster

byNorth East Bylines
December 6, 2023
Margaret Thatcher
North East

In praise of Thatcher: has Starmer gone too far?

byJulia Mazza
December 5, 2023
Two young women holding hands in demonstration
Politics

Human Rights Day

byPeter Sagar
December 5, 2023
Next Post
Trucking Hell

Trucking hell

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CROWDFUNDER

Subscribe to our newsletters
CHOOSE YOUR NEWS
Follow us on social media
CHOOSE YOUR PLATFORMS
Download our app
ALL OF BYLINES IN ONE PLACE
Subscribe to our gazette
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY
Make a monthly or one-off donation
DONATE NOW
Help us with our hosting costs
SIGN UP TO SITEGROUND
We are always looking for citizen journalists
WRITE FOR US
Volunteer as an editor, in a technical role, or on social media
VOLUNTEER FOR US
Something else?
GET IN TOUCH
Previous slide
Next slide

LATEST

Conservative logo on Union flag

Immigration policy: how the party of family values truly values your family

December 8, 2023
Newcastle Civic Centre 

Newcastle City Council unveils youth justice plan

December 8, 2023
Riders on the storm by author Alastair McIntosh

Book Review: Riders on the Storm by Alastair McIntosh

December 7, 2023
The word humanity

Remember the call

December 7, 2023
Gaza Oct 23

Gaza’s statistics of death

December 7, 2023
hands holding candle

75 years since Universal Declaration of Human Rights: celebration at Sunderland Minster

December 6, 2023

MOST READ

David Lammy

Lammy’s mood music – sidestepping towards Rejoin?

December 2, 2023
Margaret Thatcher

In praise of Thatcher: has Starmer gone too far?

December 5, 2023
Gaza Oct 23

Gaza’s statistics of death

December 7, 2023
Polling station

Proportional Representation vs First Past the Post

November 6, 2022 - Updated On May 23, 2023

BROWSE BY TAGS

Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham comedy cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty hardwick festival Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace peoples theatre Performance Politics pride month refugee rescue Science Teesside the good life TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a partner organisation to Byline Times.

Learn more about us

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Authors
  • Complaints
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Letters
  • Privacy
  • Network Map
  • Network RSS Feeds
  • Submission Guidelines

© 2023 North East Bylines. Powerful Citizen Journalism

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • UK News
    • Transport
    • World News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • Culture
    • Music
    • Poetry
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Technology
    • Trade
  • Donate
  • Newsletter sign up
  • Boriiis Cartoons
  • Authors
  • Audio
CROWDFUNDER

© 2023 North East Bylines. Powerful Citizen Journalism

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In