0863840132 mark@markdonovan.ie

We now appreciate many things that in the past we took for granted.

A lot of us with our parents, older family and friends said, ‘Ah yes, I’ll see them next week’. I think a lot of us now appreciate what in the past we took for granted.

We’ve all learned to work in different ways and in many cases, more efficient and effective ways.

12 months ago I thought Zoom was a kids video game, I thought live stream was a thing computer geeks did on weekends and I thought a semiconductor was someone who worked in an orchestra part-time.

We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and it is not a speeding train.

We haven’t gotten everything right over the last couple of months with this situation, but I think we have gotten a hell of a lot right as to where we are now.

Vaccines are increasing in the population, and also when push came to shove we did put our most vulnerable people first.

We are a great people in Ireland for complaining and looking at what we don’t do well, but I think we have done a lot well in that area and we do a hell of a lot of things well. When you ask a lot of Irish people how we are doing they say ‘not too bad’ but I think we have done a lot of good.

As restrictions ease, Covid cabin fever will spur travel, entertainment and recreation, I think there is going to be one hell of a party when we come out of this!

Most of us have learned that masks are a small price to pay for what we want to achieve. I think we have learned as well to respect a lot of people in the front line, our health people, guards, fire people, shop assistants, logistics people, transport people and a special mention from my kids to the pizza delivery guy, because they would not have survived without those guys who went out and delivered those pizzas in all weathers.

And my last comment for optimism is, I’ve realised that a pint tastes a hell of a lot better in a pub than it’s ever done at home!