He fears it could be next year before they open.
A Westmeath publican says he feels like the government has thrown him under the bus and left him there.
Owner of Sean's Bar in Athlone Jimmy Donovan says they were one of the first pubs to close in the country, pre-empting the enforced closures by over a week.
The latest set of restrictions will mean bars that do not serve food won't re-open until the middle of next month at the earliest.
However, Mr. Donovan thinks it could be a lot longer than that:
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