Following yesterday's announcement of the closure of pubs and bars, the tourism industry has begun making plans for a partial shutdown until the Covid-19 crisis passes.
Many businesses have already begun to lay off staff.
Tourism is a €7.5 billion money spinner for the Irish economy, supporting more than a quarter of a million jobs.
But towns like Killarney were much quieter today, on the eve of the traditional start of tourist season.
Instead of ramping up for the season ahead, many hoteliers and business owners were distributing application forms to their staff for emergency social welfare payments during any layoffs.
Erika Golubovskyte is from Castlemaine in Co Kerry. She has worked in the hospitality sector for the past three years and she currently works as a receptionist at the International Hotel in Killarney. She's worried about the future, but wants to do what's right.
"Of course I wouldn't like to stay at home and I love coming here, so I would like to stay coming here to work," says Erika.
"However, I understand we need to take all the precautions and if I am safer at home, I prefer being at home."
Michelle Moran has worked as a pastry chef at the International Hotel for the past three years.
"It's the uncertainty," says Michelle. "We don't know what's going to happen because they say two weeks but that may lead to months and we just don't know what's going to happen."
Jeff Smith has worked at the Laurels in Killarney for a decade. The bar closed on Saturday night.
"My job is gone at the moment," Jeff says. "But I believe my job won't be gone forever. We will bounce back.
"Financially, I am not worried at the moment. We will get over this, but money is no good to you if you are dead and buried in the ground, to be honest."
Restaurateur Johnny McGuire has run Bricín restaurant at High Street in Killarney for 30 years. The restaurant has ten full-time and 15 part-time staff and Johnny is going to try to trade his way through the crisis to save their jobs.
"For now, we will continue," Johnny McGuire says. "We are fortunate that our restaurant allows us to have proper social distancing and still continue in a limited capacity, keeping the door open, keeping our staff employed and we will continue doing that until we are told to close."
The bar and hospitality sector and the wider tourism industry are going to feel a lot of pain with closures for weeks and possibly months.
The calculation being made is that that pain is preferable to the suffering of people who might otherwise contract coronavirus in the absence of such closures.
It's quite the stark choice.
