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A photo of Princes Street taken on Monday. Flintlock Chevalier/Twitter

'It's been a rip-roaring success': At no cost, Princes' Street leads the post-Covid revival in Cork city

With very little cost, Cork City Council has plans to make streets pedestrian-only until 31 August, and possibly beyond that, if it goes well.

SINCE THE 29 June, Cork City’s Princes Street has been partially pedestrianised.

Before 9.30am, deliveries are made along the narrow street, which hosts mostly restaurants, pubs and cafés. After that, chairs and tables are put up in the road, turning it into an outdoor, spaced-out, congregation point for people in the city.

This has been a boost for businesses along the street, and a pull factor to get people to return to the city as Ireland begins to slowly open back up.

People have been hugely complimentary of the creative idea, particularly environmentalists who support of limiting cars into city centres.

“Here is a great example of a collaborative effort to find new ways of enhancing the consumer experience,” Retail Excellence Ireland said.

“Well done to the traders of Princes St, Cork and Cork City Council for this initiative which is already having a positive spin off in increasing footfall for neighbouring outlets.”

“It has been a rip-roaring success,” Cork City Council’s Director of Services for Operations, David Joyce said. “[There's been] very positive feedback and comments from people, and it’s encouraging local authorities even more, to move this even further forward.”

In a wonderful twist of history, Princes’ Street was also the first street in Ireland to become pedestrian-only; next year will mark exactly 50 years since this happened.

In an interview with RTÉ in 1971, the then-Cork Lord Mayor Peter Barry said that traders were not only “very keen” on the idea, but were the ones “pushing it for the last 18 months” – similar to what happened in the past few weeks.

When asked whether the pedestrian-only street was ‘here to stay’, Barry said: “Oh yes, I’m certain of it. In fact I’m sure this is only the beginning of a number of pedestrianised streets in Cork.” 

In more recent years it reopened to cars – but history is about to repeat itself.

How it came about

In April, plans were floating about that the council was planning to pedestrianise some of Cork City’s streets. “We needed to look at developing measures for reawakening the city, re-awaking the local economy,” Joyce said.

“We looked at reimagining the city, ensuring that it was a safe and welcoming… that it wasn’t a dead zone but that people wanted to be there.

He said that pedestrianising streets would have been in the City Development Plan 2021, but the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdown forced them to think about this sooner than they would have expected. 

So they held meetings with councillors, Cork Chamber Business Association, sectoral representatives, An Garda Síochána, Bus Éireann and Irish Rail.

He said that businesses organisations were asked to go to their members and ask what they wanted, and that businesses all from one street came up with a “clear, comprehensive and coordinated proposal” for their street.

We were very, very clear in the approach we wanted to take. We wanted a solutions based approach, but equally and very very importantly, it was all about the streets getting together and coming to us – a street-led approach was critical to the success.

Businesses on Princes’ Street suggested an ‘eat-on-the-street’ proposal at the end of April; Joyce said that the reason why the pedestrianisation of the street only started this week, rather than several weeks ago was because the Irish government said it was not permissible to put street furniture on a public road until the Start of Phase Three, on 29 June.

He said that from 20 July, when pubs that don’t serve food can open up under certain restrictions, will result in “another sea change, another step forward, where there will be a lot more businesses out on the street”. 

Temporary pedestrianisation

In total, there are plans to pedestrianise seven streets across Cork city, prompted by the lockdown. 

“The Marina was pedestrianised, Tuckey Street, Plunkett Street, Pembroke Street, Princes’ Street. All of these are done, and we’re looking to do five or six more in the short term, and expect even more again following that. They are full pedestrianisation to allow a very fundamental reimagination of those streets.”

So in 4 – 6 weeks’ time, I predict that the city centre of Cork will be very, very different. It will be an amazing place to come to.

But they are temporary closures until 31 August, Joyce stresses.

But obviously the council will look at how well the street closures go over the next couple of months, and we will make a decision then in relation to whether we want to go over for a further public consultation, to look at maybe putting those in on a more permanent basis.

Joyce said that among the top two concerns they had is the safety of people, and accessibility for all to the streets.

In terms of safety, there were fire safety concerns because of road access for emergency vehicles, as well as social distancing concerns.

“Those were all put up on the table at the start of this process, so people understood what they needed to be cognisant of and throughout the process what they needed to deliver to make sure that we were in a position to be able to approve it.”

So, has there been any costs to implementing this system other than paying for a couple of table and chairs?

“No,” he says, adding that the street furniture licences for 2020 are free of charge.

As this progresses hopefully it’s going to mature, and you may have additional features put onto the streets: barriers, maybe planting, greenery, etc.

“The important thing from our perspective was, get it out there, get this initiated.”

The reaction to the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive; Joyce reckons that this is because it’s giving Corkonians a taste of the foreign holidays they can’t go on this year.

“Maybe they see this as a way of maybe bringing their summer holiday to them in Cork… dining outdoors is a very different experience to dining indoors.”

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52 Comments
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    Mute Luke Lee
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:08 AM

    As a proud Dublin man, if I’m truly honest with myself, I must admit that Cork is a far superior city to Dublin in every possible way. From the vibrant side streets, delightful restaurants with delightful staff, Busy Cafes, Minimal traffic congestion, sexy accents and just a better looking and better mannered population it really is a no brainer. And if any Dublin Native is truly honest with themselves they’ll come to the same conclusion also.

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    Mute ianglen
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:11 AM

    @Luke Lee: loads of muggings, drug dealing and closed shops up and down Patrick St, not what it used to be like.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:15 AM

    @ianglen: so, like Dublin then?

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    Mute Canyon
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:20 AM

    @Luke Lee: No

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    Mute Olivia Smith
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:25 AM

    @Luke Lee: You find someone saying Boyo sexy? You need to get out more.

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    Mute Eamonn Fallon
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:40 AM

    @Olivia Smith: Are you talking about the Welsh fella who lives on Magazine Road?

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    Mute Football in the Groin
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:46 AM

    @Olivia Smith: Boyo? What county are you thinking of? Nobody goes around Cork saying “boyo”!

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    Mute David Clements
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:52 AM

    @Luke Lee: it’s not a contest. #loveboth …. too soon?

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    Mute Sam Harms
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    Jul 4th 2020, 10:18 AM

    @Luke Lee: we all know Galway is really everyone’s favourite!

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    Mute Football in the Groin
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    Jul 4th 2020, 12:03 PM

    @Sam Harms: I love Galway and have been there loads of times but seriousness, is it ever not raining there?

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    Mute King B
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    Jul 4th 2020, 1:21 PM

    @ianglen: loads of muggings , go away will ya . About 4 in the last year that we’re more worthy and there’s a task force patrolling the city day and night to help with the antisocial issues.

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    Mute Doug
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    Jul 4th 2020, 1:31 PM

    @ianglen:
    Always one misery guts!!!!!

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    Mute Paddy Cullen AIWS
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    Jul 4th 2020, 10:06 AM

    Walked by it last night, street was full of punters enjoying food and drink, all respecting social distancing, this is a great initiative, well done Cork.

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    Mute Damian Moylan
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:25 AM

    Great idea! I remember being in Denmark around 15 years ago where seating outside is very common, covered too so they can sit in the rain, they have gas burners for cold weather. Works in Denmark which is windier than Ireland, so can work here (might need sturdier/heavier seating or bolt down), just look how they do it.

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:40 AM

    @Damian Moylan: It’s the only way it’s going to work tbh. Our summer is very wet this year.

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:41 AM

    @Damian Moylan: don’t tell the greens a 100% inefficient gas burners but then again they’re thousands and thousands of them on every oil and gas well all over world burning 24/7, got sinacally side tracked anyway best of luck with your outdoor dining cork let’s hope the n misrable weather for past month changes soon

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    Mute RogerRamjet
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:57 AM

    @Green Lentils: We’ve had one of the longest droughts and some record high temps in the country for months. Would hardly class it as a ‘wet summer’ based on the rain over the past couple of weeks.

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Jul 4th 2020, 11:01 AM

    @RogerRamjet: We have also had below average temperatures and above average rainfall in June…

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    Mute Ruairi O Gorman
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:09 AM

    Great idea until our first named storm of the season and all the furniture ends up in the river lee. This isn’t the continent it’s Ireland.

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    Mute Aidan O' Neill
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:16 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: I’d imagine they put the furniture in at night.

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    Mute Patrick Agnew
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:17 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: Stop being a grouch. Let them enjoy it while they can.

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    Mute Joe Murphy
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:17 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: It’s not bolted down, can be easily moved if a storms coming

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    Mute Nicola Ní Chathail
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:30 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: agree. Looks lovely but a long, wet Winter in Ireland would hamper it…

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    Mute Logan Shepherd
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:34 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: You’re so right. This is Ireland, and how dare people use their heads and be innovative. What clown choose furniture that can be removed for deliveries, and not for storms? Ridiculous carry on.

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    Mute Gerard Lord
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:34 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: They move the furniture in the morning . Can you read?

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    Mute Green Lentils
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:39 AM

    @Nicola Ní Chathail: Or the long wet summer we’re currently having. Awnings would help.

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    Mute Ruairi O Gorman
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:47 AM

    @Aidan O’ Neill: apologies I didn’t realise the river floods only at night.

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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:49 AM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: tell you what Ruairi…you can stay home in your slippers and a blanket over your knees making little moany noises. Meanwhile anyone who wants can head outside and do stuff, even if there’s an oul drop of rain.

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    Mute TL55
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    Jul 4th 2020, 12:05 PM

    @Nicola Ní Chathail: Put a retractable cover over it. If there’s a will there’s a way. Police it a night time so people don’t get robbed etc on the way home.

    If it can work in Cork in can work in lots of Irish towns.

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Jul 4th 2020, 12:08 PM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: Good point. Amsterdam and Copenhagen are famed for their arid climates and lack of waterways.

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    Mute Ruairi O Gorman
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    Jul 4th 2020, 1:28 PM

    @Derek Walsh: Amsterdam the city below below sea level with a state of the art water level control, they learned alot in 1953. Meanwhile the river lee floods at least 3 times on an average year.

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    Mute Aidan O' Neill
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    Jul 4th 2020, 4:24 PM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: hahaha. You do realise they’d be brought in if there’s excessive rainfall? You know that thing that causes floods.

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Jul 4th 2020, 4:48 PM

    @Ruairi O Gorman: Oh well. Then I guess there’s no other solution but to watch the chairs and tables float away whenever that happens.

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    Mute Mairead Jenkins
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:53 AM

    Great idea! Dublin doing something similar for 4 weekends on a trial basis.

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    Mute J
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    Jul 4th 2020, 11:03 AM

    @Mairead Jenkins: won’t go anywhere, too many vested interests

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jul 4th 2020, 11:46 AM

    It seems like a brilliant idea, worth trying here too. What have businesses to lose, seriously ?

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Jul 4th 2020, 12:05 PM

    @J: But whose interests are actually served by allowing cars in those streets? Not the public, certainly. Not the businesses on those streets. (Nobody spends money from their cars, after all.) Not even car park owners. Those who so insist on driving into town will still need somewhere to put their vehicle.

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    Mute Doug
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    Jul 4th 2020, 1:36 PM

    @Mairead Jenkins:
    Great idea for Dublin, should be more of it.
    However i see mannix flynn is complaining about it, he never has anything constructive to say. Why do people vote for him?? Seems to hate anything positive in Dublin.

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    Mute Thomas Claffey
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    Jul 4th 2020, 10:43 AM

    Great idea once you ban cycling down the street and as happens every few mins on grafton street.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Jul 4th 2020, 10:50 AM

    @Thomas Claffey: really? Every few minutes? You do understand other people have actually been on Grafton street? BS

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Jul 4th 2020, 12:06 PM

    @Thomas Claffey: If it’s a pedestrianised street, then cycling would be banned (as it is on Grafton St.).

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    Mute Thomas Claffey
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    Jul 4th 2020, 5:24 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: yes and I work on the street you trool

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:05 PM

    @Thomas Claffey: do you work directly on it as a speed bump? Walked down it daily and never saw a single cyclist

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    Mute Brian Seymour
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    Jul 4th 2020, 11:05 AM

    Good to see investment from clancys at a time of uncertainty, forward thinking, inventive well done to all involved

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    Mute Jeanette Dunne
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    Jul 4th 2020, 1:57 PM

    Cool, we’ve traded Malaga for cork this year, looking forward to a night away down there next week.

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jul 4th 2020, 9:52 AM

    Like Cork, dont like the people.

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    Mute Badger the witness
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    Jul 4th 2020, 10:49 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: We’re actually grand like, perhaps you met one or two bad eggs, which every county and city have.

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    Mute Órla Collins
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    Jul 4th 2020, 11:33 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: Thanks a bunch :’(

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jul 4th 2020, 4:54 PM

    @Órla Collins: No Im sure they are very nice , but any I have met seem to constantly give out about whatever town they are in and how “it’s not Cork”.
    Fine but its someones home town they are insulting – thats why they are unpopular, and they tend only to make friends with other cork people. And I know it is a generalisation- there are some wonderful Cork people, Jack Lynch who I met a few times was a gentleman.

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    Mute Fifty Shades of Sé
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    Jul 4th 2020, 2:09 PM

    I think this refers to the stretch of Prince’s Street between Oliver Plunkett St and South Mall as the other end has been fully pedestrianised for donkeys’ years. I’d love to see the whole city centre car-free with the exception of delivery trucks eventually.

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    Mute pat seery
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    Jul 4th 2020, 11:16 AM

    That’s what you call thinking outside the box

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    Mute dowthebow
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    Jul 5th 2020, 1:33 AM

    Every pub on the country, if they’re able to provide outdoor service, should be open. And they should’ve been open mid-april

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