Wet pubs officially opened across Fermanagh yesterday (Wednesday) with many publicans jubilant with the news that they can finally open their doors after being closed for six months.

As of yesterday (Wednesday) there are no regulations on whether or not licensed establishments, restaurants, or entertainment venues will need to close early in Northern Ireland.

This is welcome news for many publicans in Fermanagh who have kept their wet pubs closed in line with government restrictions and to protect public health.

One regular who was delighted to see the reopening of the pubs was Noel Nixon who lives in Enniskillen.

Mr. Nixon will be 80 in December and he hasn’t taken a drink since St.Patrick’s Day when the pub closed its doors.

He spoke to the Impartial Reporter while enjoying his first pint in 190 days. He said: “I do be in here most days. I just take a couple of pints, I come in to pass the time and talk to the locals. I like coming in to meet people and to have a chat. It’s a social thing for me. I never took a drink since the Hollow closed on St.Patrick’s Day.

“I’m happy to see it open again,” he said.

On the other side of the bar, Pat Blake owner of Blakes of the Hollow had only one word to describe his feelings on Wednesday after the shutters of the hollow finally reopened. “Relief” he said, “We are all really relieved in Blakes.”

He said that the Hollow will be approaching the future with “a certain degree of trepidation as we are still waiting on the guidelines from the executive and whether they’ll be cross-channel or all Ireland”.

Mr Blake hopes that the Executive will side with the more lenient guidelines in the Republic of Ireland which has pubs closing at 11.30pm whilst in England, pubs must have doors closed and patrons out by 10pm.

Mr Blake said “An earlier closing time will have enormous consequences for business, but the difficulty is that 10pm closing will encourage customers leaving early to go to house parties