Lockdown Priorities Are All Off

Red Alert Wine o’clock gets earlier every day

We need to talk about the dreaded drink, pandemic or not we have a problem.

The fact garden centres have been shut while the off-licences are open says it all.

The Taoiseach clarified in his address on Friday that humble nurseries and DIY stores can reopen on May 18.

But surely they should have been kept open throughout the crisis?

By May 18, Alcoholics Anonymous will be inundated with many questioning whether they’ve become fully-fledged functioning alcoholics during the outbreak.

It’s bizarre, it’s deemed essential that we have the choice to pour alcohol down our throats but we’re not allowed to buy a plant or do a bit of DIY.

These positive activities would keep us away from the booze rather than wine o’clock getting earlier every evening as the pandemic extends.

Drink is the Irish solution to the Irish problem manifesting more ferociously when we have a crisis.

While the coronavirus has undoubtedly brought the best out in people, alcohol is bringing out the worst.