What better news to kick off Pride month than the announcement that Dublin’s much loved gay bar, The George, is reopening its doors once more.

The iconic venue announced the news with images of their outdoor seating area. Tickets will go on sale today at the DesignMyNight site here. They are very limited so first come, first served! They’ll also stagger ticket releases in the coming weeks.

There will be a maximum of six people per table as per the guidelines and bookings are currently only open for the month of June.

It has been a long time coming. The George first closed its doors on the 15th March 2020 and they have not reopened in the 443 days since. But who’s counting?

Now the green light has been given by the government for so-called wet pubs to reopen they have finally been able to start taking bookings.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the hospitality industry. Vintners representatives say they are expecting many of Ireland’s 7,100 pubs to remain shut once restrictions are eased and Covid financial supports are halted. However, there is clearly still an appetite for pubs and pints in the country and from next Monday, venues will get a chance to capitalise on that pent up demand.

It has also been a very difficult time for the Irish LGBTQ+ community. Young people in the community have reported much higher levels of poor mental health than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. One of the reasons for this has been the isolation caused by the pandemic with LGBTQ+ spaces and supports being forced to close or move online.

While of course The George reopening is not going to address many of these issues, it is positive to see some of our beloved queer spaces return as we move into the summer and a new chapter of living with the Covid-19 pandemic.