There are a couple of things about Ireland’s experience of covid that while probably not unique, are very different to your experience in the 'States.
Ireland locked down early by popular demand, not by government diktat. The new, coalition government had just come just come second and third in a three horse election and didn’t really have a mandate. The Irish people were fearful that what happened in Italy would happen here and the Government acquiesced out of insecurity.
Since then, the Irish response has been pretty scientific and in the scheme of things, not terribly shabby. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) do the science and the government make the decisions and it’s all been very transparent.
There is an anti-vax movement here but it’s small, ineffectual and unpopular. Mostly it’s just the usual shower* of right-wing shitheads stirring up the ignorant same as always.
There was a high degree of compliance among the population and we have a very high rate of vaccine uptake (80-90%). There were about 6000 deaths, a lot in care homes near the start and that could have been handled much better but by and large things could have been much, much worse.
So broadly speaking, Ireland is doing okay. NPHET did the science and have advised the government that many of the measures can now be lifted. The government is very keen to do this because they want to come out of this smelling of roses so they can hold another election and conclusively win it this time.
(I could digress and mention all the problems that caused them to lose the last election haven’t gone away, but this isn’t the place.)
So, my take on it is that masks aren’t going away and that’s probably the single biggest (and simplest) measure against covid, so that’s good.
But the pubs are opening up and IMO that has been the single biggest spreader of covid here based on past experience. So there’s that.
And I also feel it’s a bit naive to get all smug while there’s still a pandemic raging across most of the world and in particular, our nearest neighbour.
*Do other English speakers use ‘Shower’ as a mildly derogatory collective noun for a group of assholes? I suspect it’s a Dublin thing but I’m not sure…
