That night, the lights of Tower village twinkled in the night, reminding me that it is a village that never sleeps. I was returning from my night check of the yard.

My husband, Tim, and I do it in turns. There were just two heifers calved that night and I was already tired. Maybe a better description was weary. It was no way to be feeling as calving began. Nationally, the COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted, but locally we were still in the grip of the pandemic. COVID-19 has robbed us of two years, stopping us in our tracks, pausing our friendships, our travel plans, our education and our care-free enthusiasm.

Most days I’ve remained positive but that night I was sad.

Our son-in-law David had a bit of a cold and cough and had done a COVID-19 test and turned up positive.

There it was on the kitchen table, two red lines plunging us into the territory we had so hoped to avoid.

After nearly two whole years of restriction, sanitisation, mask wearing, staying at home and away from our friends and family; the cursed virus had finally come to our house. Ironically it happened just as An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Dr Tony Houlihan were allowing us to cast off the chains of restrictions and shatter the shackles of lockdown. Restaurants were opening, pubs were pulling pints again. The prospect of a night out loomed large.

Now the thing was within our four walls

I found it impossible to imagine what a real night out might entail. Tim and I have had a few carefully planned restricted visits to a safe restaurant but still the tension was there. Now the thing was within our four walls and we wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Isolation

David removed himself upstairs to isolate in the spare bedroom. The days passed and we started on the antigen tests.

Exactly a week later our daughter Julie tested positive. I was doing a test in the kitchen and Tim was doing one in the office. Our little grandson was taking it all in. “Ganny, COVID test, Tim COVID test, Ricky want COVID test,” he shouted, running from Tim to me. It was a bit of a wake-up moment.

Little Ricky had been on our laps, in our arms and all over us. We knew we were goosed

We possibly wouldn’t have thought to test the two-year-old. Up he sat on the chair in the office. I held him, one hand on his forehead and the other holding his two arms at his side. To our horror, he tested positive. Everything changed in an instant. David came down to join his wife and son in isolation between two rooms.

Little Ricky had been on our laps, in our arms and all over us. We knew we were goosed. Keeping people in isolation fed and comfortable is an onerous enough task for families. Ricky was amazing. He spent six days in the room with his parents only asking once if he could “go with Ganny to the living room”. He was just the best little boy.

My turn for isolation

Two days later, I tested positive. It was my turn to isolate upstairs and away from the remaining two left standing. Our son Diarmuid was happy to get away to his room to stay safe. Tim became the carer of us all, dishing out our meals and delivering them to our rooms. Meanwhile, calving was gathering ground.

The routine has become porridge and a COVID-19 test for breakfast!

I was very unwell for a few days and after that isolated between the room and the calf shed. I am now on day twelve and still testing positive and periodically symptomatic.

The routine has become porridge and a COVID-19 test for breakfast! Right now, I feel like a dog on a retractable lead. I think I’m gaining ground, breaking free of lockdown only to be reined right back in to isolation. I am getting better and while COVID-19 can be billed by some as a mild illness; I have found it more than nasty. The worst symptom is the fatigue interfering with every part of my life. The normal household jobs remain undone and everything is a chore. I know it will pass yet it’s hard to remain upbeat when feeling unwell. I’m relieved that it wasn’t the Delta variant that invaded our home.

Still standing

Tim and our son Diarmuid have avoided contracting it. We are thrilled that Diarmuid has remained safe. Tim not getting it from me is a complete mystery and so life goes on and freedom remains but a pipedream. It is coming for us all, we just have to get through it.