Cavan pub bans race fans returning from Cheltenham
A Cavan Town bar has banned anyone returning home from this week's Cheltenham Races from being served.
The Slieve Rossa Bar on Coleman Road announced its decision on Facebook, outlining their refusal to serve horse racing fans who attended the sport's showpiece event for the next week. The post by proprietor Mickey Mooney clarifies that he is enforcing the rule on health and safety grounds. Currently the number of confirmed cases of people with COVID19 in the Republic stands at 90.
"Customers approached me all week saying that they were concerned that Cheltenham had gone ahead in the first place. They were concerned about people coming home from it, and how safe they would be. So we just took the measure to try to combat the virus. If we take sensible steps now, the sooner we get back to business as normal," the publican explained to The Anglo-Celt.
He was at pains to stress that the move is not intended as an "insult" to anyone. Mr Mooney said it will be enforced on "anybody known to have been at Cheltenham", but hopes that they will make the decision themsleves to "stay away".
He observes that most race-goers would have returned on Thursday, and the ban will remain in place until March 22.
Safe
Mr Mooney is the chairperson of Cavan St Patrick's Day Parade and at the start of this month he and the organising committee cancelled the popular event on the same grounds. He found it astonishing that the British Government permitted Cheltenham Races to to go ahead. It attracted over 250,000 people across the four days of racing.
"We're just trying to keep everybody safe and the virus clear of Cavan," concluded Mr Mooney.
The gravity of the national health emergency was further emphasised today when Cavan General and Monaghan Hospital began to enforce its strict 'no visiting' rules. A number of family run businesses in the town have also taken the decision to close for a fortnight. One Hour Photo on Cavan's Bridge Street explained their closure as they "feel it's the right thing to do" and provided details should any customer need to contact them.
Read more on today's enfrocement of "no visiting" visiting at Cavan General Hospital here: