It feels like a different decade has passed since we broke the news that Peadar Browns on Clanbrassil Street Lower would be the first Dublin pub to close back in March during the first period of a lockdown which we hoped would only last two weeks.
They bit the bullet and decided to shut up shop in a decision that 'broke their heart but was the right thing to do'.
On Friday, the nation was shocked to hear that a major fast-tracking of lockdown restrictions had been decided by Cabinet, announcing for one that all pubs serving food could reopen for business on June 29 - even without a restaurant licence.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told Dublin Live directly the reopening will apply to: “Pubs and bars that can operate as if they were restaurants, but they won’t need to have a restaurant license though.”
It came as a surprising twist for most pubs that were looking at a far distant date of August 10th before they returned to some kind of normality.
But now, as long as they can provide table service and behave like a restaurant, they’re back in business over six weeks earlier than expected.
While most pubs and bars have kept schtum on their plans, a few couldn't hold back the excitement of announcing to their regulars that they were cracking open the shutters.
Capitol Lounge on Aungier Street has set up a countdown clock which ticks down the seconds until 12pm ahead of the magnificent Monday.
Sinnott's Bar near Stephen's Green Shopping Centre will reopen a bit earlier than Capitol.
They said: "Roll on 29th June. We re-open at 10.30am, serving food all day and of course showing whatever sports are back on TV. More details soon."
The Boar's Head on Capel Street echoed a similar statement to Sinnott's adding: "Looking forward to seeing everyone from 29 June. It will be great to catch up. Great work done by everyone to keep our country safe."
And Grogan's on William Street even admitted they've "put a little something together" in preparation of reopening.
Mr Varadkar added: “Next week we will publish detailed guidance for hotels, bars and restaurants, cafes, and it will all be set out in that next week.
“But to give you an impression of what will be allowed, bars, pubs that can operate as restaurants will be allowed to do so.
“So that will mean table service, socially distant, but not people sitting at a bar, or, you know, hanging around, standing, as you might like to do in a pub.
“It will effectively be pubs and bars that can operate as if they were restaurants, but they won’t need to have a restaurant license though.”
