Also, highlighting the importance of knowledge gleaned from spatial analysis is the research by Gerald Mills et. al. ‘Making sense of publicly available data on COVID-19 in Ireland’. Involving a collaboration between geographers and medical practitioners, this work draws on publicly available data to examine the impact and pace of the pandemic as it waxed and waned unevenly across the country. Finally, McCarthy and MacCarron’s work on the spatial analysis of the death notices published on RIP.ie (which has received significant attention in the media) highlights the counties most affected by the saddest impacts of the virus, whilst also reminding us of the real people, families and communities that lie behind the statistics. Our condolences to all those who have lost loved ones during this crisis.