What’s Another Year…? You must be joking!
Kind of undermines what our Eurovision superstar used to sing…
Huh?
God forgive me, I’m even lashing out at Eurovision stars! I need to take a breath…
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
I’m just saying…Ireland’s Eurovision legend…
Dana? Is it Dana? Is it Marty Whelan?
NO! Johnny Lohan!
Oh! Eh…what about him?
Wasn’t it Johnny who used to sing…What’s Another Year…?
Yeah…
So, like I say, that mantra is kind of undermined now…
Huh?
…by the year we’ve just had. What’s Another Year! You must be joking!
(They pause to solemnly and ruefully mark the first anniversary of Covid’s arrival in Ireland)
Old men climbing ladders to see young men play football on the pitches the old men developed – and graced.
Snapshots of the Covid year?
Yep.
So many harrowing images. Loved ones in care homes separated from their loved ones…communicating through windows.
They are all in our thoughts.
Stressed frontline workers.
Heroic.
Face coverings the symbol of the new normal.
The new normal! A wretched phrase!
Such ‘new language’ is a product of these times.
Yeah…social distancing.
Self-isolating.
Flatten the curve.
Quarantine.
Click and collect.
Idiot.
I’m sorry?
I mean Covidiot. That’s a new word…
Oh, that’s actually a good one!
(They pause to ponder on how to balance humour with the harsh realities of lockdown life when discussing the first anniversary of Covid in Ireland)
Celebrities…
Huh?
It’s been a year of new emerging celebrities.
Oh yeah, despite lockdown, there are exciting new faces in sport, acting, music…
No! I’m talking about Sam McConkey and Luke O’Neill and Ronan Glynn and…
Oh, THEM!
Yeah…household names now.
I like that Professor Luke O’Neill, he’s always smiling. But the other new ‘Covid celebs’… they’re generally quite glum…
Oh they’ll cheer up once it’s all over. They can have a well deserved party then.
Great!
They’ve formed a social committee with a party coordinator…
I bet it’s Luke! Is it Luke?
Eh no…it’s George Lee.
(They pause to reflect again on a year unlike any they’ve ever known)
Hold Me Now…
I’m sorry?
Didn’t Johnny Logan win with that too? More irony. HOLD ME NOW! The one thing people can’t do now…hold or hug!
You can’t blame Johnny Logan for lockdown!
Yeah, I know…Ryan Tubridy.
No, not his fault either…
No, I mean as another snapshot of the year…Tubridy’s monologues.
Oh no, not for me!
Claire Byrne in her shed.
Banana bread.
Zoom quizzes. WhatsApp videos.
Empty sports’ pitches.
Empty schools, for so much of the year.
Empty pubs.
No holidays.
No family gatherings.
No one believed it would be a year…
(They pause; they just pause)
Anyways, Johnny Logan was great…but I always had a soft spot for Abba.
Oh yeah…hey, maybe their Eurovision winner is more appropriate?
Not really, it was WATERLOO!
Oh, forget I said that. Still, we’ve been resilient during this traumatic 12 months….we can take inspiration from another Abba hit…
Both: Yeah, we’re SUPER TROOPERS!
