A heartbreaking photo of an Irish grandfather meeting his grandchild for the first time under the constraints of social distancing shows the reality of life in Ireland during the COVID-19 crisis.
Emma Beth Gall tweeted an image of her newborn nephew Faolán being introduced to his grandfather through a window.
In the photo, Gall's brother Michéal holds his newborn son aloft so that his elderly father can get a first look at his new grandson.
The image has gone viral and had been retweeted 94,000 times and liked more than 707,000 times at the time of writing.
Three generations of social distancing as my dad meets his grandson for the first time ??? pic.twitter.com/uyHHgBBXxb
— Emma (@emmabethgall) March 21, 2020
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Gall took to Twitter to thank everyone for their kind words of support. She said that both grandfather and grandson are oblivious to their newfound social media fame.
"Thanks everyone for your lovely messages! The good news is baby Faolán is doing great and oblivious to his new fame," she said on Twitter.
"My dad is also doing well and is completely oblivious to his new fame. He wouldn’t let me take a pic of him but he’s smiling!
"My brother lives about 2 minutes away from him so he went up to say hello. He knew he couldn’t come in. He is looking forward to holding the baby soon."
It is a stark reminder of the current climate in Ireland and the rest of the world
The Irish Department of Health is advising Irish people to stick to the stringent social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Health authorities advise against all non-essential contact and even grandparents are encouraged to stay away from their grandchildren.
Unfortunately, it is a necessary measure to ensure that the two vulnerable age groups are kept safe and healthy during the crisis.
Read more: Priest sings to empty church amid COVID-19 social distancing
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