Westside Gym in Dublin said it was going to stay open for the sake of the mental health of its members.Getty Images
A Dublin gym has been forced to closed after announcing that it would defy Ireland's new COVID restrictions and remain open when the country moved to Level 5.
Westside Gym in North Dublin announced plans to remain open over the next six weeks even though gyms and leisure centers were forced to close during when Level 5 restrictions were imposed,
The gym cited the mental health of its members but has now closed after two visits from An Garda Síochána.
On October 20, the day after the Irish government announced that the country would be moving to Level 5, the gym shared a post on Instagram that read in part: "We are saddened that our government has not listened to the voice of the Irish people.
"There was not one mention of the importance of exercise in maintaining positive mental health.
"That being said, I'm sure you are wondering what we are planning to do at Westside gym. Our plan is simple, we plan to stay open."
Owner Simon Murphy told the Irish Times on Wednesday that his members had been overwhelmingly supportive of his decision to remain open and he said that his efforts to stay open when gyms across the country were closing had nothing to do with turning a profit.
"This is for existing members only, we’re not accepting new members. It’s not a money-making exercise. It’s about being sustainable for people’s mental health and also sustaining our business," he told the Irish Times.
The gym, which has between 1,200 and 1,300 members, allows 50 people inside at any one time and has only had one confirmed case of COVID-19 since reopening in June, Murphy said.
He told any staff members who felt uncomfortable about continuing to work during the Level 5 restrictions that their job would still be there for them if they chose not to work, but he said that all of his staff supported his decision.
However, Murphy said that he would be closing the gym for the six-week period in a video posted to Instagram yesterday.
The Dublin gym owner said that the gardaí had visited the premises twice on Wednesday after he announced he would be remaining open and that he has decided to close the gym as a result.
He bemoaned a lack of support from other gyms and said that it was impossible for his gym to remain open alone.
"We weren't accepting new members, so we were no threat or consequence to any other gym," he said in the video. "We were looking for your support and I'm really at a low point to see that for the most part we didn't get it.
"There's no point fighting for a fitness industry that won't fight with you."