Here’s some cheery news for a Friday.

After this weekend we’ll be free to roam anywhere in Cork, after the Government green-lit plans to speed up the roadmap to reopen Ireland and skip the 20km travel limit period scheduled for Phase Two.

Under the revised restrictions discussed by the Cabinet this afternoon, people will soon be allowed to travel anywhere inside the county bounds, opening up parks, walks, forests and beaches to city dwellers and putting a trip to town back on the agenda for those who have been isolating in the country.

It is understood that the number of people who will be permitted to meet up outdoors could be increased to six, provided the two-metre social distancing rules are adhered to.

A day of hope -hope for each other, hope for our families, hope for our future. #Covid19 has not gone away. The collective national challenge that each one of us has a role to play in is: can we safely find a way to live alongside it. We have gotten this far together

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 5, 2020

The accelerated reopening schedule could also see hotels and pubs open earlier than originally planned, with further details set to be outlined by the Government later today.