Countryside erupts into life as people return

There was much kissing of the ground at the weekend as countryside enthusiasts returned to their favoured habitat. The lifting of foot-and-mouth restrictions combined with glorious weather ensured the hills were again alive with the sound of people. Anglers, walkers, runners and mountain-climbers, who had been banned from the countryside for 10 weeks, were out in their thousands. The restrictions on all rural activity, which had been imposed at the end of February following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain, were lifted on Friday.

Among the most delighted were members of the Irish Mountain Running Association, who gathered for a midnight run in the Pine Forest near the Dublin mountains on Friday night.

"Oh, we were celebrating being back, kissing the ground," said Ms Eva Mulleady, who organised the run. "We gathered at Tibradden and ran up to Three-Rock, near Fairy Castle - just over an hour. We had torches and I'm sure it looked a bit eerie. But it was great, we had really missed it unbelievably. We were like children with our toy taken away from us."

Others who missed access to the countryside were the rock-climbers and mountaineers of the Mountaineering Council of Ireland.

"People have certainly been out walking and climbing again," said council spokesman Mr Declan O'Keefe, who yesterday was on his way out for an afternoon's rock-climbing in Dalkey Quarry. "People have been itching to get back out there."

Although the early stages of the restriction had little effect on the numbers climbing, he said, the start of the season had been delayed.

All heritage sites and national parks were also open after 10 weeks without visitors. The manager of the Glendalough visitors' centre in Co Wicklow, Mr George McClafferty, said it had been "very, very busy" over the weekend.

"We opened on Friday and it has been extremely busy, all nationalities. From early morning we have had coach-loads of Americans, French, and looking at the bookings for the coming week, there are five coach-loads of French tourists booked in on Tuesday. And there have been a good few Irish.

"It's probably no busier than usual for the time of year but normally we'd have a lead-up to it, whereas this year it's just hit. And we are thrilled. It had been very sad to watch people arriving and to tell them they weren't able to go anywhere."

At Muckross House in Killarney it was "bedlam", according to Ms Diane Healy, a member of staff there, who said "everyone is definitely delighted that we are open again".

In Glenveagh National Park, Co Donegal, head guide Ms Carmel Brophy said there had been "about 200 visitors on Saturday, which is very good considering people thought we weren't opening until the 25th.

"We have been getting lots and lots of phone calls from people asking whether we were open, from individuals and schools."

Though many people in the tourist industry were upbeat this weekend, some felt the lost revenue could not be recovered this year.

Ms Jean Costelloe, manager of Avondale House, Co Wicklow, said business had been "steady" over the weekend but since the house closed at the beginning of March a number of staff had to be let go.

"We're not going to get the American business back this year. I think we are going to have to look for the home market."

Anglers too were allowed back to the rivers at the weekend.

However, the Department of Agriculture warned that we "are not out of the woods yet" and yesterday urged people to be cautious, to avoid contact with susceptible animals and to disinfect footwear and wash clothes after visiting the countryside.

The weekend's dry, warm weather ended yesterday and it looks unlikely to return until Thursday at the earliest. There will be rain and even some thunder showers today, with temperatures between 14 and 16 degrees. The unsettled weather will remain through tomorrow and Wednesday. Thursday is expected to be dry and sunny.