Celtic Tiger 2.0 anyone?
The boom might not feel like it’s back but Dublin’s newest nightclub aims to herald a little bit of the look and feel of it back baby. If you cut your clubbing teeth in multi-storey nightclubs which were covered in velvet, velour and leopard print, with swimming pools in the middle and Z-list celebs being flown in for the midweek promo shoots, then you’ll know what we are talking about.
Opening next week, in the spot where tramline sadly exited a few month back, the SoHo Dublin promises a return to the ‘old school values’ of clubbing in Dublin, in their brand new D’Olier Street premise. Bucking the worrying trend of nightclub closures, with a shocking stat shared by the organisers claiming that 4/5 clubs have closed in Ireland since the 2000’s. This 23+ club will offer a “premium” yet affordable clubbing experience across the multi-purpose venue that will host club-nights with Irish DJs like Dave Treacy + Dansie, live music performances and everything from theatrical events and fashion shows. Spread between three different rooms that offer different music, there will be 80s, 90s and 00s music on offer.
Behind this opener, are men very au fait with Dublin nightclubs of yore, Jerry Harrington and Paul Hayden, who are promising a premium spot with state of the art sound, lighting, including a €100,000 digital screen wall. While pointing to the premium aspects of the space, co-owner Harrington has signalled that there will also be value on offer in terms of drink-deals, adding, “we will ensure that your night out won’t break the bank, but you won’t sacrifice any of the luxuries that you like”.
“The Irish youth today have never experienced the high quality and high service of the Dublin nightlife experience we enjoyed in the nineties and noughties. Due to the staggering amount of closures since then, so many of them have rarely experienced a good club night generally. In a modern, stylish venue we are going to reintroduce that same standard older Dubliners once enjoyed. Where the hostess knows your name and favourite table, where the doormen welcome the regulars in first, where the barman knows your favourite drink, and where dancing the night away on an electrifying dance floor is the best part. We’re going to bring the old school values of clubbing in Dublin back to the city centre,” added Harrington.
Speaking of the opening, the advocacy group Give Us The Night said, “the nightclub industry here is now so small that it only accounts for 0.6% of the total licensed liquor trade in Ireland. Seven counties in Ireland are now down to their very last nightclub. The government’s promised reform still hasn’t happened, which is halting a rebirth of this once thriving industry,” they added, “Dublin, with its rich nightlife history, needs fresh venue options to keep the city buzzing and alive. So today’s news of ‘SoHo Dublin’ opening in the city centre is very positive industry news, in a time when we often hear far more about closures”.
You’ll be able to find SoHo Dublin in 21 D’Olier Street, the opening hours are 10pm until late every Thursday to Sunday, with private corporate bookings Monday to Wednesday.
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