Despite inclement conditions in the early part of the day, the 162nd Gorey Agricultural Show was, according to all concerned, a “great success”. Held in Ashton, Ballycanew, the show was officially opened by Member of the European Parliament.(MEP) Sean Kelly with Tirlan as the main sponsors on the day.
No kisses but joy aplenty for those still making it home for Christmas Independent.ie 20/12/2020 Alan O Keeffe
A small number of Ireland s returning exiles arrived yesterday for Christmas without fanfare at Dublin Airport.
There was hardly a murmur in the Arrivals hall of Terminal One as Covid restrictions meant no greetings were allowed inside the building.
Absent were the excited crowds of families greeting loved ones, and not a single musical note from traditional carol singers was heard.
The numbers arriving were down almost 90pc on last year. Arriving passengers walked through an almost silent terminal. But many of them showed delight when they emerged outside to find a family member or friend waiting on the kerbside.
Janine Briscoe (28) arrived from South Korea. I m hungry. I didn t take off my mask on the flights, not even to have something to eat, said Janine, who teaches English in a school in Seoul. Her mask is attached to a chain which means she can remove it without touching it and she can leave it hanging on the chain for a few moments rather that stuffing it unhygienically into a bag or a pocket. A mask has hardly left my face in months and I ll been staying masked in Ireland, said Janine, who underwent a test before flying and will be self-isolating while she awaits another test in Ireland on Christmas Eve. She said South Korea is one of the most successful countries in the world in battling Covid. On the day she left South Korea, there were 11 deaths out of a population of 51 million.