The nightlife in Dublin
has changed beyond all recognition in the last few years. Alongside
the traditional Irish pubs are stylish bars and buzzing pre-club
haunts. The trendy Temple Bar area is the most
associated with the city’s best nightlife hotspots and vibe.
Pubs are open Monday to Saturday 11:00-23:30 and Sunday 12:00/16:00-23:00,
some serve until 02:00. In parts of the city, the 23:30 weekday
and 24:00 weekend closing times are enforced by the ‘Gardai’.
Bars close between 23:30 and 01:00, while clubs are open until the
early hours. The minimum drinking age is 18 years
and the price of a pint is typically €4-5.
On 1 January 2004, new antismoking laws, proposed
and passed by the Irish Minister for Health in March 2003, came
into effect, banning smoking in all pubs, bars and nightclubs. There
is no dress code for pubs in Dublin – it depends on the establishment
in question. Some encourage neat dress while casual dress is commonplace
in others.
What’s on Where the free events guide found
in cafés and bars throughout the city, and In Dublin,
the fortnightly magazine, are both good guides featuring bar, restaurant
and club reviews.
Bars
Dublin’s bars fall into two camps – the traditional
drinking haunts and the designer bars for bright young ones. Hip
bars include Pravda, 2-3 Liffey Street Lower, Zanzibar,
34-35 Ormond Quay Lower, and The Chocolate Bar,
Harcourt Street. One of the venues of choice for Dublin’s
young and moneyed to spend their money in is No 4,
4 Dame Lane. For a traditional pub crawl, head to Temple Bar, the
Palace Bar, 21 Fleet Street, The Temple
Bar, 48 South Temple Lane, and Oliver St John Gogarty,
58-59 Fleet Street, are all to be found here. On Merrion Row and
Baggot Street, Toner’s, 139 Baggot Street
Lower, O’Donoghue’s, 15 Merrion Row,
and Doheny & Nesbitt, 5 Baggot Street Lower,
where literary ghosts have taken up residence. The Dawson
Lounge, 25 Dawson Street, is the smallest pub in Dublin,
with room for about six in the basement. The George
on 89 South Great George’s Street, is one of Dublin’s
most popular gay bars.
Casinos
These are private clubs that are not open to non-members. Ireland
is somewhat anti-gambling and public casinos do not exist.
Clubs
Dublin’s reputation for top-rack nightclubs is growing year
on year. PoD (Place of Dance) on Harcourt Street,
is the style leader and has won awards for its outlandish decor.
The exclusive Lillie’s Bordello, Adam Court,
Grafton Street, is where visiting pop stars, actors and celebrities
hang out for after-show parties. Ri Ra, Dame Court,
mixes a chilled bar with a hip club. D2 (formerly
known as Velvet), Harcourt Street (open Thursday, Friday and Saturday),
was the first in Dublin to latch on to UK Speed Garage.
Comedy
Dubliners are celebrated for their wit and their gift of the gab.Top
comedy venues include The Laughter Lounge
on 4-6 Eden Quay, with local and international stand-up talent Thursday
to Saturday at 21:00. Others include pubs such as the Ha’penny
Bridge Inn on 42 Wellington Quay, on Tuesday nights and
the International Bar on 23 Wicklow Street, on
Thursday nights.
Music
Eclectic is the key word for the music scene, with most venues playing
something of everything, from the blues, jazz and soul to rock and
pop, English folk and Irish traditional (known as ‘trad’).
Trad is played in many pubs, often in impromptu
‘sessions’. Larger venues hosting high-profile performers
could charge on the night or tickets may be bought in advance.
The Temple Bar Music Centre, Curved Street,
Temple Bar, is a great place for spotting new talent. Spirit
nightclub, 57 Middle Abbey Street, hosts a international and
local acts and has an intimate feel to it, similar in style to Vicar
Street on 58-59 Thomas Street. The largest concerts (rock and
pop) are held at The
Point, East Link Bridge, where U2, Oasis, Westlife,
All Saints, Manic Street Preachers
and Fatboy Slim are some of the names that have
performed there over the last few years. The RDS
(Royal Dublin Society) Concert Hall, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge,
also caters for large pop/rock events.
Olympia
Theatre, 72 Dame Street, is one of the better venues for
broad-ranging styles in a large three-floor venue, for early evening
and post-midnight gigs. On a smaller scale, the 18th-century pub,
Whelan’s, 25 Wexford Street, is a very popular
live venue, providing a platform for up and coming bands. Jazz can
be heard at the Viperoom, 5 Aston Quay, while long-established
Slattery’s, 129 Capel Street, offers an assortment
of music from rock and jazz to traditional Irish. Other traditional
venues include pubs O’Shea’s Merchant,
12 Bridge Street Lower, and O’Donoghue’s
at 15 Merrion Row.
Opera
Ireland (telephone: (01) 478 6041), and the Innovative
Opera Theatre Company (telephone: (01) 679 4962) perform regularly
at a variety of venues, including the Gaiety Theatre
(see Theatre section below) and the Hugh
Lane Gallery, Charlemont House, Parnell Square North (telephone:
(01) 874 1903). However, the main classical music venue is the National
Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace (telephone: (01) 417 0000),
which is home to the National Symphony Orchestra. |
