You may still kiss the bride or groom in Kerry
Whether the guests may kiss the bride and hug the groom will be "entirely up to themselves" in church weddings in the Diocese of Kerry.
While the diocese is suggesting that “physical interaction during religious services”, including the Sign of Peace, should be suspended, it has no ground rules for weddings in the light of the spread of the coronavirus.
It also advises that because Covid-19 is a new disease and appears to spread easily between people, church holy water fonts should not be used.
The diocesan advice is from the HSE.
Killarney sees hundreds of weddings each year and most weekends there are three or four church and civil ceremony weddings.
Guests numbers of between 150 and up to and beyond 300 are typical in hotels.
There have been no cancellations of weddings so far in Killarney, and next weekend there is at least one big wedding.
Bernadette Randles who is honorary chair of the Kerry Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation said life has to go on and people have to take responsibility for themselves. Apart from gels and sanitizers her hotel and others will not be laying down rules and regulations.
Weddings are booked two years in advance often and there have been no cancellations thus far in light of the coronavirus, Ms Randles said.
She is tick-tacking with the IHF headquarters in Dublin who are issuing regular memos and advice to members on insurance, cancellations and medical issues and who have been "very good" in keeping members up to speed, Ms Randles said.
Weddings have not featured so far in cancellations, she believes.
"The virus is a huge challenge for the industry, but normal life has to go on, and people must stay positive," she said.
A wedding of 280 guests is going ahead as planned in one hotel in Killarney at the weekend.
- The HSE have developed an information pack on how to protect yourself and others from coronavirus. Read it here
- Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus who has been in close contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days should isolate themselves from other people - this means going into a different, well-ventilated room alone, with a phone; phone their GP, or emergency department - if this is not possible, phone 112 or 999 and in a medical emergency (if you have severe symptoms) phone 112 or 999
