Gleneagle hotel denies breach of Covid-19 guidelines for Gina’s concert

The Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney has insisted it is “adhering to the guidelines” after a guest claimed he saw at least 400 people attend an indoor concert at the venue on Saturday night.

I was scared for my elderly mother and for those who were at the concert.

In a statement, the Gleneagle Hotel did not address the allegation that 400 people were present in the ballroom for a concert by the show band Gina and The Champions.

However, the hotel insists that it adheres to the guidelines for ‘controlled environments’ as outlined in the Fáilte Ireland Hotel Guidelines, which state that pubs, cafes and restaurants (including hotel restaurants and bars) may open with established protection measures. ”

A guest had claimed that she and two friends were returning from dinner on Saturday night when they heard loud noise and singing from the hotel’s function room. “We were shocked, I said to myself ‘is this really happening?’ I was so surprised that I looked up the guidelines for indoor meetings. There were definitely 400 people, if not more, in the room, ”she said.

“I was scared for my elderly mother and those at the concert, it was packed and the audience was mostly older people who should be reducing their contacts,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the Gleneagle hotel said the maximum number within the facility is tied to the capacity of the facility, taking into account the appropriate physical spacing.

“We have opened our largest place, the HE DROWNED, as a restaurant and resident lounge to ensure our guests have ample space for social distancing. The ground floor of the auditorium has an area of ​​1,400 square meters.

“Normally, the HE DROWNED It can accommodate 4,142 people in a sit-and-stand event and 2,142 in a seating event and is only open for large concerts and conferences. All concerts and events previously scheduled to take place at the HE DROWNED they have been canceled or postponed, ”according to the statement.

“We carefully choose low-volume, low-key acts. This is a controlled environment with strict social distancing measures, ”the statement continued.

“Table service is mandatory and food is served throughout the night. Dancing is not allowed and all guests must remain within their family groups at the assigned table.

“The staff is present at all times to ensure compliance with social distancing measures. Details for contact tracing are taken upon entering the hotel and again upon entering the HE DROWNED. All bars close at 11 pm sharp and guests must vacate the space by 11:30 pm, “said Gleneagle.