Here we are at Level 5. Day one, my husband Tim and son Diarmuid were up and away early as we were reading a TB test. Were we going to be in lockdown and locked up as well? Luckily the news came a few hours later that all was clear. Farming is a great leveller and in our own farmyards we can largely forget about COVID-19 breathing in the fresh air. The work goes on no matter what the country is doing.

These six weeks will pass. If it was a countdown to a wedding or a concert; think of how you’d feel. You’d be elated planning what you’d wear, where you’d stay and ensuring cover on the farm and house. You’d think of hair and nails and there would be an air of anticipation in the run up to the day. You’d be checking the weather.

I’m a great one for planning to get things done before an event. This is no different. The prize at the end will be my sons Philip and Colm along with their respective partners, Aileen and Elaine coming to dinner. Simple family time, and then a trip to Tipperary to see Dad and the folks.

I think care is needed around this “save Christmas” refrain. It’s a recipe for a massive let-down

Then another dinner with my sister Ben, her husband James and their children Jack and Kate – venue to be decided. It is important to keep in touch with our friends. I won’t lie, I miss my friends terribly. I hate the fact that I can’t see them and plan visits and meet-ups so I try not to dwell on it.

I hope that I will see them over the Christmas period but the realist in me knows that is probably unlikely. We will be lucky to be able to have our family for Christmas and then if we have a few get togethers, we’ll probably be back in lockdown in early 2021. I think care is needed around this “save Christmas” refrain. It’s a recipe for a massive let-down.

If we listen closely to the experts, in particular Dr Tony Holohan and Prof Luke O’Neill, we are looking at six to 18 months in and out of lockdown depending on how we act individually and collectively. That’s a big blow to take and the only way to endure it is by doing it a little bit at a time.

The gardaí have new powers to keep us in check. It’s sad that people can’t just do the right thing. I’m trying not over think it. I just want the time to pass.

Leadership needed

This lockdown, I did not panic-buy groceries. Last time, my grandson Ricky was very small and his formula, nappies and other things were vital. I stocked up well. We didn’t know how the retail system would behave. This time, I didn’t feel the need or the gripping fear of COVID-19 to get in home and hide. Yet the risk of catching COVID-19 in Ireland is 100 times more likely than it was in June. It’s a sobering thought.

When Taoiseach, Micheál Martin made the Level 5 announcement, we felt the enormity of the task ahead and I wondered if we’d actually drive each other crazy. Meanwhile, Ricky was sitting on his mother Julie’s knee and he played hide and seek, lightening the mood. This lockdown is considerably different to the last one because we understand what to do and we know we can do it.

The reasons are the same; we are doing it to save lives. We are in this together has also been the mantra. Listening to the radio we were far from being together. The main focus was the outbreak of COVID-19 in the nursing home in Ahascragh, Co Galway. Yes, it was awful and the HSE may not have responded quickly enough. Hopefully lessons will have been learned. I felt the level of criticism of the HSE and politicians was totally over the top. This is not working together. The response should be planning for the next outbreak when staff become overwhelmed. It means having a cohort of staff ready to move in where necessary. Surely this could be planned on a regional basis. This kind of leadership is necessary to allow everyone to concentrate on doing the right thing. Hopefully this new lockdown will prevent the situation escalating and enable us to really work together to keep safe. CL