Chronicles of COVID-19

Title

Kate, West Cork

Contributor

Kate

Subject

COVID-19 (Disease)

Coverage

Ireland; Cork; 2020s:

Date

14 April 2020

Language

English

Creator

Cork Folklore Project

Rights

Cork Folklore Project

Description

GENERAL PHYSICAL LOCATION RIGHT NOW

Ballygurteen, 12km north of Clonakilty in West Cork

USUAL LOCATION

Same

Q. 1 STAGES

In the very first week of physical distancing, I remember saying that I was more worried about the potential economic impact of the virus than the virus itself. In some way, I trusted that nature and science together would find a way to contain, control, treat and ultimately vaccinate for it as a long term goal, but that the immediacy of the virus would be the economics, not just in terms of cash, but in terms of socio-economic changes: How and where we spend our money, how will businesses survive, people will lose their jobs - how will they survive.
My area of interest professionally and personally is food, and I am fortunate to live in an area where food; and good food at that, is abundant. I cannot understand why the government shut down our farmers’ markets and instead shunted everyone indoors to supermarkets. In reaction, I began buying the vast majority of my food using the new direct purchase initiatives taken up by many of our producers and growers, as well as continuing my support of Neighbourfood which in and of itself has seen a huge uptake in use and demand from both makers and consumers despite not being a new platform.
Right now, as I write this, Ireland has started week 3 of the lockdown. I am missing walking in woods and on the beaches, all of which are outside of my 2km radius. I think people will start to waver in another week or so's time - people are becoming restless.

Q. 2 EVERYDAY ROUTINE

I work for myself and I work from home. Saying that, a lot of my work relies on face to face interaction, so a huge chunk of my work has gone from me. This is the first week that I will struggle to fill my working day and I don't see things getting better for me workwise between now and the end of the lockdown - whenever that might be.
On the positive side, my husband is also working from home so we are spending more time together now than we have done in years! He commutes to the city everyday usually and also does a lot of international travel. We are really enjoying spending more time together. We take our exercise together in the morning walking Buddy, our dog, and are eating all our meals together: he makes lunch and I make dinner. In between his online meetings, we catch up over a cup of tea and a snack. This has been one of the best things about the virus: we are having conversations again; we are using our phones less and making plans for the future.
Days are starting to blend together a little, and having a bank holiday weekend in the middle of it all hasn't helped with keeping track of days, but we have had great weather too which means we can get outside, either for our walks or the garden, and at least we don't feel constrained by four walls.

Q. 3 GROUPS

Both of our sets of folks are in the age group where they have to be cocooning. My folks are in Wales, and my husbands are in North Cork. My husband’s folks are really outgoing people and like being out and about. They were away at their second home in Spain just before they locked down, and since they have been home they are finding being at home all the time difficult to cope with. As we are so far away, neighbours are having to help them get in groceries etc. My folks however are very much home-birds. My mum in particular has physical problems which mean she can't go far anyway, so she spends her time in the garden and cooking. My dad is bossing quarantine, however! He virtually has the whole house repainted and is rattling through his list of DIY jobs. He volunteers two days a week with the Citizen's Advice Bureau and at the start of the UK lockdown, they gave him a mobile phone and a laptop so he could continue working from home. It's been interesting to see how they are all coping differently.
I am concerned for people living in homeless accommodation, living on the streets, in direct provision centres. Also, people living in bedsits or in small apartment blocks and high rises with no access to outside space. I can't even imagine how hard lockdown must be for them. It makes me very grateful for living in the countryside with space around us and a garden. I wonder if, after this, people will reassess where they live and will we see an influx of people moving out of the cities and into the suburbs, semi-rural and rural areas?

Q. 4 WAYS WE TALK

‘Stay Safe’ is the phrase everyone utters now, as well as ‘Keep Well’. Asking people how they are is now more an invitation to see how people are coping with lockdown. In the last few days, I have noticed too that a few people I am connected with on social media have lost people from Covid-19 which is an unsettling development as it makes you feel as though it is getting closer to your circle of friends and family.
We have just come out the other side of Easter, leading into it there was a big flurry of anecdotal reports on Social Media that lots of people were on the move - especially reports of caravans and camper vans and lot of D-reg cars coming down to West Cork. I noticed this was happening at other touristic hot spots around the country - and with the forecasted good weather people were understandably rattled by these "reports" - myself included. It even made me stop and consider whether my planned trip to pick a few items from the supermarket in town was indeed essential for fear of being in an enclosed space that was busy with "out-of-towners". I decided not to risk it and stayed at home. There was a lot of anger from people talking about a definite increase in the number of people arriving into West Cork at the weekend, and now I wonder whether it was just gas lighting and misinformation. Were they tourists, or were they people coming home? It's hard to know for sure, but I was amazed at my own reaction to the reports: I was angry but also scared to leave home. It struck me that the Covid-19 restrictions are creating a new psychology.

Q. 5 COMMUNITY RESPONSE

From a food perspective, it has been the response of food producers and growers to pivoting their business to online and/or being as contactless as possible. These would be businesses that would usually rely on face to face interactions or mark it out as a key facet of them doing business. I wonder whether many of them will keep it going once restrictions start to ease. Some will probably find it easier to do business this way; for sure new customers will have been found by going online rather than just trading within a small, hyper local area.
I do still get annoyed that some people still act as though the restrictions don't apply to them.

Q. 6 THOUGHTS AND PREOCCUPATIONS

I miss not being able to visit some of my favourite places for walks or a bite to eat or a drink with friends. I miss not being able to visit our folks and to hug them. I also miss not having my usual freedoms to move about. On the other hand, I am enjoying the peace and quiet, the fact that we have been forced to slow down and then realising that this is the pause button I desperately needed, I love hearing the cacophony of bird song every day, and I love having the time to sit, talk, cook and eat without rushing any of those things.
I am also thinking that I probably will not leave Ireland this year. I am fearful of the prospect of travel, of being away from home while the virus remains a threat. I am also thinking that nothing will be the same again on a personal and individual level. The quiet has allowed me to imagine how I want my work to fit around my life and not the other way round, and to ensure that I prioritise all the good things in life over constantly hustling my way through every day, week, month and year.

Q. 7 SIMILARITY TO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

No Response.

Q. 8 CHALLENGES AND COPING

No Response.

Q. 9 THE FUTURE

See above. More of this really.

Q. 10 IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND?

I think that the way people have responded to the lockdown and helping to prevent the spread of the virus has shown up very clearly who has empathy and who doesn't. I think it has also clarified just how much inequality there is in society, how fragile the economic recovery since the 2008 recession is and how overstretched the services are that hold society together.
On the other hand, it is overwhelming and heartening to see such solidarity en masse. I have been amazed at the innovation of businesses and people to adapt to a massive change in how we all have to live our lives. I think it shows up well that we want far more than we ever need. I also love that people are getting creative again and finding ways to be useful and productive that do not rely on tapping a keyboard! People are making, creating art, gardening, growing food, cooking food, preserving; they are out in nature really looking and listening and noticing what nature is doing more.

Q. 11 IN A NUTSHELL

This is the pause button we all needed. We have all had to adapt and reassess how we live our lives and what is important. We are rediscovering that people are incredibly innovative and creative. I hope that when the virus begins to subside and restrictions are slowly lifted, that people tread lighter than before with more empathy, compassion and a better aligned sense of what it means to live well.

age

36-50

gender

Female