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Sasko Lazarov

Updated hospitality guidelines: Maskless dancing and tickets to access nightclubs

Ticketing requirement will take effect from next week and will not impact on venues opening this weekend.

UPDATED GUIDELINES for hospitality and live entertainment sectors have been published this evening, with most taking effect from today.

All remaining Covid-19 restrictions were planned to be lifted today but a rise in cases and increased hospitalisations meant hospitality and live entertainment opened subject to restrictions with guidelines on how they can operate.

Following meetings with industry representatives yesterday, the government confirmed nightclubs could operate at 100% capacity and that a standing capacity of 1,500 would be permitted for live music events.

Ordering drinks at a bar will now also be allowed, but people will have to return to their seats with their drinks. 

The guidelines published by Fáilte Ireland this evening state the following:

  • To access indoor hospitality, including pubs, customers must be able to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or immunity following recovery from Covid-19 and must have a photo ID. Customers unable to provide the required evidence of vaccination or immunity following recovery may access outdoor hospitality only.
  • Full capacity is permissible at nightclub venues, as is dancing without masks.
  • Venues can operate at full capacity, but are asked to “have regard to the public health situation and the individual characteristics of the venues and decide on what safe capacity looks like for their venue”.
  • Ticketing will be required, for the purposes of contact tracing, for all nightclubs and venues  – regulations are to be put in place next week.
  • Opening hours’ restrictions on licensed premises have been removed. Hotels and bars will apply closing times as set out in the Licensing Acts.
  • Up to 1,500 standing patrons can attend live music events, and any capacity above this number must be fully seated.
  • Socially distanced bar service is permitted for drink orders and collection.
  • Multiple table bookings in a general hospitality setting are allowed (a maximum of 15 per table, of which max 10 may be adults). However, such events must be fully seated, with food and drinks to be consumed at the table.
  • Weddings can operate without any capacity restrictions. Table capacities are the same as those for general hospitality (above).
  • Face coverings are still required at all times for employees in front-facing roles, and by all patrons other than when they are seated at their table or when dancing, drinking or eating in permitted live entertainment/nightclub venues.
  • In licensed premises, counter service may be permitted, for ordering and collecting where orderly, safe and socially distanced queuing can occur. This will be the subject of regulation also.
  • Government public health advice is still that table service is the safest style of service but relaxation recognises that queueing can be managed very safely once there is no congregation of people.
  • Hand sanitisers should be at all tables.

Commenting on the updated guidelines, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said Covid-19 is “still a real threat to our society and the safety guidelines are necessary to balance public health while also facilitating the reopening of all sectors”. 

Martin added that it is “vitally important that each venue operator utilises their skilled health and safety expertise, and exercises judgement and caution with due regard to protecting public health”.

 I would like to thank those involved in the hospitality, live entertainment and arts sector for their cooperation and engagement throughout this challenging time. As these sectors rebuild into a new and complex phase of the pandemic, there is an onus on all of us to take personal responsibility for our actions to ensure this reopening is safe and successful.

The updated guidance can be read in full here.

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52 Comments
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:38 PM

    Tickets to gain entrance to nightclubs this is turning into a right farce. It’s getting beyond ridiculous now.

    325
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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:44 PM

    @Franny Ando: No it’s the minimum that should be required given the increase in case numbers. That places are opening at all is a bonus. You need to accept the old ways are gone for now.

    206
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:44 PM

    @Franny Ando: I know, right?! And who ever heard of being asked to show ID to get in to a nightclub?! It’s madness I tell ya!

    117
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    Mute Will Roche
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:47 PM

    @Franny Ando: I wonder if nightclubs who are opening tonight knew about this? If not tonight is going to be a mess.

    27
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:51 PM

    @Will Roche: They just announced it won’t come into effect till Monday.

    20
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    Mute Tom Bombdadil
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:53 PM

    @Franny Ando: there won’t be a single ticket given out. That’s a fact

    18
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:53 PM

    @JusticeForJoe: There’s a bloody big difference asking for I.D and being made by tickets. A covid cert and photo I.d is ample proof. Dont try to be smart because you generally fail abysmally.

    62
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    Mute Life in no motion
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:54 PM

    @Franny Ando: stop your moaning

    57
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:55 PM

    @lelookcoco: A covid cert with photo I.d is more then enough for gaining entry. Tickets are of no benefit whatsoever.

    44
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    Mute Mac Muinteoir
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:55 PM

    @Franny Ando: reminds me of when they announced the new 5 levels of lockdown, and then when they were asked which level we were in, they said “3 and a half”.

    59
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:56 PM

    @Franny Ando: buy

    5
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    Mute Kevin
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:58 PM

    @Franny Ando:

    I suspect the nightclubs & bars will be closed again within 6 weeks if the current hospitalisation rate continues. The government know this as do NPHET but they had to give a (temporary) concession given how badly affected this industry has been over the past 17 months.

    41
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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:01 PM

    @Franny Ando: It’s to facilitate contact tracing. Do you only read the news items that allow you a good moan?

    42
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:01 PM

    @Mac Muinteoir: I lost count of the many variations of lockdown:):)

    16
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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:02 PM
    14
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    Mute Melissa OHara
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:04 PM

    @Franny Ando: they say the tickets are for contract tracing but sure how are they going to know who is a close contact in a nightclub?! Also everyone has to be vaccinated anyway and when you are vaxed and a close contact it makes f all difference because you just go about you life as normal.

    47
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:18 PM

    @Life in no motion: Oct 22nd was when most restrictions were to be removed. A plan should have been in place well before 7pm on the 21st. A plan for reopening and a secondary plan if they had concerns about numbers. But that would require actual competent ministers something most have known for a long time are in extremely short supply. All the plans put in place by these venues after 22 months all gone skew ways.

    34
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    Mute Hugo Bugo
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:21 PM

    @lelookcoco: no we don’t have to accept anything of the sort, not all of us roll over so easily

    35
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    Mute Hugo Bugo
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:22 PM

    @lelookcoco: contact tracing, lol, so you’re still trying to contain it, good luck with that

    21
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    Mute Cian
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:26 PM

    @lelookcoco: surely your a troll there actually can’t be people with this view point is there? How unworkable the ticket system is. how are small Family run nightclubs going to set up this online ticketing service? Without having to pay an external company.

    28
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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 10:34 PM

    @Cian: No Cian. I’m not a troll. I’ve been commenting here for 7+ years. Family run nightclubs? Where do you live, the Aran Islands?

    14
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    Mute Robert Clifford
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 1:09 AM

    @lelookcoco: People like you should be put in the stocks.

    4
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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 9:11 AM

    @Cian: event brite is free and you can set up an account in about 2 minutes. I sincerely hope that if someone can run a nuteclub they can manage the Internet.

    5
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    Mute SmallbutMighty
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 9:14 AM

    @Hugo Bugo: thought you had given up on the Journal after your dramatic that’s it I’m leaving last week. Didn’t last long before you’re back moaning.

    6
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    Mute Maria Clery-Breen
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 9:47 AM

    @Kevin: thinking the same thing ,,,they should not have opened them .

    4
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 9:15 PM

    @SmallbutMighty: Ahahahaha he didn’t say that, did he? Raging I missed that. No need to announce your departure, Hugo, it’s not an airport.

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    Mute Jacqui Curtis-owens
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:25 PM

    Watch this space….bye bye Christmas

    105
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    Mute Stuart Birney
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:32 PM

    @Jacqui Curtis-owens: We heard you the first time!

    5
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    Mute Hugh
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:35 PM

    These cl0wns are in charge of an €86 billion budget. Let that sink in

    96
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    Mute Garreth mc mahon
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 8:40 PM

    @Hugh: I’m more worried about the 200 billion defecit

    26
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    Mute Aranthos Faroth
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 10:00 PM

    @Hugh: jaysus sure if you’re so confident why haven’t you gone into politics? Or you just like judging but not actually doing anything?

    17
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    Mute Ian O Hara
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:02 PM

    Dancing maskless, boom covid controlled…….

    44
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    Mute JMcB
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:53 PM

    Hand sanitisers on every table is not a bad thing IMO

    40
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    Mute Mark
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:55 PM

    @JMcB: until fellas started drinking it hahahah they’ll be blind as bats

    75
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    Mute Stuart Birney
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:29 PM

    @Mark: Bat’s aren’t blind Mark but nice try!

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    Mute FrustratedASDMum
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 9:56 PM

    @JMcB: Jesus, never thought of that. You just know there are going to be knob heads in pubs and clubs this weekend who will drink some ‘for a laugh’ and end up wasting time & resources in A&Es around the country after poisoning themselves.

    6
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    Mute Robert Clifford
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 1:34 AM

    @Stuart Birney: I’d say you’re a real hoot at parties.

    5
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    Mute Rochelle
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 8:03 PM

    I mean I get why there’s so much red tape but the amount of protocol and fuss would really put me off going out at all.

    25
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    Mute Seymour business
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:57 PM

    This all makes sense to me, at least the effort to protect all vital services are being put to priority. Unlike the sh!t show across the water. Well done all.

    29
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 12:14 PM

    @Seymour business: ha ha maybe ya should change your name to ‘see less business’ —- what ever happened to the 100m we spent on the HSE covid tracing app ? This was suppose to be the 21st century solution to contact tracing – using mobile tech like they did in south korea to retrace movements yada yada -anyone remember all that -of course not – Ireland is tieing itself up in a farcical red tape bubble being created by bureaucrats – it’s almost as if they. are setting it up to fail – heres a list of things we need you to do in order to ‘be incompliance’ and then in another month – ah we have to shut them down they are not abl to operate in compliance – i get it people who dont care much for clubbing etc on here pontificating – but for the vast majority of younger people pub club owners and operators – this just makes a laughing stock of the ‘vaccine bonus’ conversations that Govt and Health officials touted 6 months ago – people need to start demanding representatives get theor sh*t together and get this mess sorted – it is beyond farcical they had over a year to PLAN for club reopenings – could the administrators not have used all them ‘working from home on full pay’ meetings on zoom to work all this out in advance – 630pm on day of opening – seriously????

    4
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    Mute Maria Clery-Breen
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:53 PM

    I know of someone going out tomorrow not vaxed ..how they are going to get in anywhere .,.

    14
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:56 PM

    @Maria Clery-Breen: A negative test result.

    36
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    Mute Mo
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 6:59 PM

    @Maria Clery-Breen: You should definitely report them, awful behaviour altogether /s

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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:02 PM

    @Maria Clery-Breen: Hopefully they won’t

    21
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    Mute Sarah Lou
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:07 PM

    @Maria Clery-Breen: correction… you know someone who intends to go out tomorrow night….cant wait to check in Sunday and see where let them in!

    25
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    Mute Maria Clery-Breen
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 9:14 PM

    @Mo: I’m not in Ireland

    5
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    Mute Robert Clifford
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    Oct 23rd 2021, 1:37 AM

    @lelookcoco: Pull up a chair everyone. lelookcoco is saying daft stuff again.

    7
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    Mute John Keane
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 8:35 PM

    Im just interested to know what your solution is! Please share it. Do you want a freedom day? Look where that got them. People will die in more numbers again, there is no back to normal solution there wont be for a long time if ever. Unless we just all take our chances and may the strong survive. Maybe thats what darwin meant.

    13
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    Mute John Keane
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 8:55 PM

    @John Keane: that was meant for Franny Ando at the top.

    4
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    Mute finbarr walsh
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:37 PM

    Do I need to show covid cert if staying in a hotel ?

    7
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    Mute Giovanni cans
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 7:50 PM

    @finbarr walsh: no drive on eat and drink all you like there covid doesn’t affect hotels

    44
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Oct 22nd 2021, 8:15 PM

    @finbarr walsh: No.

    10
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