With the world in turmoil and a pandemic stalking its way throughout, an oasis of calm in Ballymacelligott next weekend will see Sharon Shannon and Alan Connor playing four shows over two nights to Covid regulation limited audiences at Ó Riada’s Bar and Restaurant.
Originally billed as a one-night-only affair, the old ‘popular demand’ reared its head and business and common sense prevailed and so the Saturday night has now been hauled into service.
Mandatory Cleaning and Sanitising
On Friday evening, July 24th a socially distanced group will sit down to a meal at 6pm and at 7pm Sharon Shannon and Alan Connor will arrive on stage and play for a hour or so.
Then with mandatory cleaning and sanitising, a new audience and a second meal sitting at 9pm and and concert at 10pm.
Both Friday night sittings sold out in rapid order and the demand – which couldn’t be met under current regulations – had to be catered for with the extra two sittings and shows at 6pm and 9pm on the Saturday night.
Demand Brisk
Demand has been brisk since yesterday, Friday afternoon when Sharon was a guest on the Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio One and mentioned that her first post lock-down stage appearance would be in one of her favourite venues.
Organiser, Mary Jones said that since the idea of staging the return of the live gig at Ó Riada’s people have told her they’ve been storing up all the missed chances to celebrate special occasions and the preciousness of life itself after the social fabric of the country has been paralysed since the middle of March.
Health and Safety
“People have missed out some great and important family occasions over the past five months as plans for the likes of St. Patrick’s Day, Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day had to be all forgotten about – not to mention all the birthdays and anniversaries we couldn’t celebrate the way we were used to doing,” said Mary.
Health and Safety Authority and government regulations will be strictly adhered to including social distancing with a ban on any kind of dancing.
Tables of four at €60 per head can be booked now on: 087 20 64 119.
