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10 moments that defined lockdown in Ireland

Updated / Monday, 14 Mar 2022 14:36
Matt Damon with Jessica Berry (9) and Ashleigh Berry (11). Image: @mummycooks
Matt Damon with Jessica Berry (9) and Ashleigh Berry (11). Image: @mummycooks

While it may take a while to get back to any sense of 'normality' again, it's safe to say that the last twenty-four months will remain vivid in our collective memories for quite some time.

Of course, when we're all watching Reeling in the Years in twenty years' time - as has been suggested, 2020 alone is a series unto itself - some of those memories will be more prominent than others.

Here, then, are ten videos and/or social media clips that defined lockdown in Ireland...

1. ST. PATRICK'S DAY CANCELLED

It seems so long ago now, but we knew that things were getting serious back when the government (rightly) took the decision to cancel all St. Patrick's Day festivities. True, it meant that we missed out on a major celebration of our culture and heritage, as well as the cancellation of some excellent gigs and events – but we did enjoy the virtual parade above...

2. LEO VARADKAR'S FIRST SPEECH

The then-Taoiseach addressed the nation for the first time on St. Patrick's Day with a stark speech as the coronavirus cases began to rapidly mount. If ever it felt like we were living through a) history and b) like something from a film plot, this speech drove it home.

3. BINGO IN THE FLATS

Amongst the heaviness and the bad news reports, there was also room for a little levity. It came in the form of feel-good videos like this one – where residents of a block of flats in Dublin made the most of being confined to their homes by staging bingo and karaoke nights...

4. MATT DAMON IN DALKEY

One of Hollywood's biggest stars inadvertently found himself stranded in the South Dublin seaside town of Dalkey for a period of lockdown, after production was halted on the film that he was shooting (Ridley Scott's The Last Duel). It wasn't long before he was snapped with various shopkeepers and Dalkey residents, who made him an unofficial adopted son - and fiercely defended his privacy when the world's media came sniffing for gossip.

5. THE NORMAL PEOPLE/LIVELINE KERFUFFLE

Normal People will always remind us of lockdown. The adaptation of Sally Rooney's book was wonderful, but it also unwittingly captured a particular sentiment because of the circumstances: more people were at home, perhaps feeling a little more vulnerable, maybe more open to such a story. More importantly, it caused an unholy and hilarious kerfuffle on Liveline, with callers outraged by the show's many sex scenes. "It's like something from a porno movie, Joe." Indeed.

6. THE EMPTY STREETS

For many of us, lockdown didn't truly hit home until we saw footage of the usually-bustling streets of the capital city – and indeed, many towns and cities around Ireland – completely empty. It made for unsettling and surreal viewing, but some of the city's wildlife enjoyed the quiet time – like Sam the urban fox, who temporarily claimed Grafton Street as his territory.

7. CLAIRE BYRNE BROADCASTING FROM HER SHED

RTÉ's Claire Byrne self-isolated after suffering symptoms of coronavirus for several days; it later transpired that she had indeed, tested positive.

There's 'journalistic integrity' and then there's 'broadcasting from your garden shed so you don't miss a show'. Fair dues.

8. STATE EXAMS CANCELLED

It remains one of the most controversial decisions made by the government during the initial lockdown period, but for many young people, their lives were altered dramatically and a rite of passage denied them when the Junior and Leaving Cert exams were cancelled. On the upside, they won't suffer those recurring nightmares that we all have of forgetting to study for a certain exam.

9. DICKIE ROCK AND JOHNNY LOGAN

By the time May 2020 rolled around, we were all in need of a good laugh. It came in the form of a bizarre public bust-up between two of Ireland's most enduring entertainers and began when Eurovision hero Logan took an abrupt pot-shot at showband star Rock in an interview, saying "Dickie Rock is a legend in his own head... He lives in a fantasy world". Rock's response? "I'd give him a f***ing box. I’m 82. Even now I’d give him a box." It was a distraction for a couple of days, at least. And yes, they kissed and made up, in case you were wondering.

10. THOSE BEAUTIFUL LATE LATE PERFORMANCES TO AN EMPTY AUDIENCE

Those first few audience-less Late Late Shows were pretty strange, but it soon became clear that the gravity of the unfolding situation made for a more special broadcast, as Ryan Tubridy (and Miriam O'Callaghan, who stood in for Tubs when he was ill with the virus) brought us a mix of public service broadcasting and much-needed entertainment. The weekly acoustic musical performances soon became the centrepiece of the show. Hozier's cover of The Parting Glass in honour of those who had lost their lives to the virus, was astonishing; Dermot Kennedy's take on Van Morrison's Days Like This was beautifully poignant.

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