Sun shines on Carlow and Kilkenny as some Covid restrictions ease

Delight’s being expressed locally as certain amenities are reopening their doors today.

The sun’s shining as Covid restrictions ease for outdoor zoos, heritage sites and a range of sporting facilities.

Elaine Grant is PRO of Carlow Rowing Club and she’s been telling KCLR Live that there’s great excitement among local water sports enthusiasts.  She says “Absolutely cannot wait, they’ve been looking at that river for many months now and it’s so beautiful up along the area as you know people walking every day and they’re back there tonight, thank goodness, the youngsters are all back, they can’t wait to get back onto that river, they’re so excited”.

Morgan Doyle is secretary of the Kilkenny Golf Club says many have been booking in but there are still some restrictions for players, noting “We’ve a full timesheet today, as you’re probably aware people can only play in two households so it does limit numbers a little bit, two households together so it could be a couple and one other or just two individuals playing together or two couples, peopel are delighted to get out, it’s a lovely day here and the course is in beautiful condition so people are very anxious to get back today”.

While Chair Carlow Lawn Tennis Club Tremayne Horkan says they too have guidelines still to follow, pointing out “So we’re ready to hit the ground running, we have all our protocols in place from last time around and for us it’s singles play or a doubles pairing from the same household and of course our junior coaching pods are back again so our juniors are keen as mustard no more than the rowers to get back out there and the golf as well”.

Meanwhile, a mural honouring Mabel Cahill, the Ballyragget woman who claimed five US open titles, is set to be displayed when the Kilkenny County and City Lawn Tennis Club opens its courts today.

Club PRO Shirley Trimble believes it is very important to champion the accomplishments of females in sport.

Funerals

Also from today the number of mourners allowed at a funeral has increased to 25.

Carlow undertaker Rory Healy says it will be a huge relief to many families, as the previous limit was too harsh.

He told KCLR “Certainly the ten was extremely hard on families, I had families who had six people in the church, I’ve had families who had ten and family had to stay outside even siblings, a wife had to stay outside on one occasion, outside the church, just horrific on families, horrific”.

We heard from more on KCLR News – see what they had to say here.