Irish pubs say two metre social distancing spells ruin

FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask passes The Norseman pub, as bars across Ireland close voluntarily to curb the spread of coronavirus, in Dublin, Ireland, March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Lorraine O'Sullivan

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's usually tightly-packed pubs say they face ruin unless the government eases one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, under which they can only reopen in August and must keep drinkers two metres apart - reducing capacity for some from hundreds to dozens.

For Ronan Lynch, owner of The Swan, a small, Victorian pub typical of many in central Dublin where forcing your way to the bar for a pint is usually a selling point, a relaxing of the guidelines will be the difference between reopening or not.