That is the message from local councillor Thomas O’Reilly, who is chairman of the cross-community group Newtownbutler Together. Cllr O’Reilly said as tough as times may be at the moment, he was hopeful the county would emerge from this crisis as a better society, where the health service is properly resourced, local people support local businesses, and where we all have more empathy for each other. 

“At the minute people are staying in their houses, just making essential runs, and are doing what they need to do. People are also looking after one another, particularly those who need an extra little bit of help,” he said. “Hopefully that is going to pay dividends in the times ahead.” 

Cllr O’Reilly said the community at large was now getting “a deeper understanding” or what many of our older people have been facing for a long time, being isolated at home, and he said he also hoped people were gaining more empathy for the struggles of small local businesses, which should be support by local people. 

“We’re all guilty of trying to get the cheapest bargain when things are good but it does pay to keep those local shops and businesses open,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s times like this where the corner shop and the local supermarket that is the lifeline between eating and not eating for a lot of people, who maybe don’t have that access to transport 24/7.” 

With regard our health workers, he said he hoped that, despite the fact there may be more viruses in future, the powers that be would ensure the service is never as under resourced again. 

“It is scandalous,” he said. “If you had looked ahead and said, for the sake of a plastic pair of gloves, an apron and a face mask people would have to die, nobody would have believed that a few years ago.”

Overall, Cllr O’Reilly that he was happy to see everyone working together, regardless of what side of the community they came from, as that is how we would get through the crisis – together. 

“We should have no fear in reaching out and helping each other, and I do believe this will result in creating a better society,” he said. “Unfortunately I don’t believe this will be the last virus.”