The Irish government announced yesterday that all restrictions around the pandemic have been removed, barring wearing masks in indoor settings such as retail and public transport.
Pubs, restaurants, theatres, etc can once again open as normal with full capacity.
Covid vaccine certs are only required for international travel.
The decision was made because although the Omnicron variant resulted in a dramatic increase in case numbers, this didn't translate into an increase in people being hospitalised or admitted to ICU.
Vaccination rates are high in Ireland, around 95%.
I walked around town this evening while waiting to collect a takeaway.
The bars were busy and the local arts centre was back open.
I'll probably continue to 'hibernate' for a while and see how the easing of restrictions pans out.