Closure of the Buttery

book smarts

The only really bad thing about TCD was when those GIANT A$$HOLES FROM HELL WASTOID USELESS BUREAUCRAT GUNTS decided to DESTROY the Buttery, a place of many good times and fine memories for many thousands of students over many years, so that they could make a QUICK BUCK. Nice one, you D1CKHEADS. I'm still raging about that one. Had they nothing else to do? They probably didn't even make that much out of it. "Oh I know, let's destroy TCDs signature bar, and lets destroy the Lincoln while we're at it". WHAT TOTAL A$$HOLES.

maninasia

The Lincoln, wow that was a great old pub, you're right, I think they owned the deeds to it and it became part of the dentistry faculty, big loss.
What happened to the Buttery now?
The buttery was a bit of a cave, we preferred going to other places in town or to the Pav even though we weren't rugger heads.

There is a new Lincoln now.

Never new the old one but I do like the new one.

godtabh

book smarts wrote: »

The only really bad thing about TCD was when those GIANT A$$HOLES FROM HELL WASTOID USELESS BUREAUCRAT GUNTS decided to DESTROY the Buttery, a place of many good times and fine memories for many thousands of students over many years, so that they could make a QUICK BUCK. Nice one, you D1CKHEADS. I'm still raging about that one. Had they nothing else to do? They probably didn't even make that much out of it. "Oh I know, let's destroy TCDs signature bar, and lets destroy the Lincoln while we're at it". WHAT TOTAL A$$HOLES.

The Pav is the colleges signature bar

maninasia wrote: »

The Lincoln, wow that was a great old pub, you're right, I think they owned the deeds to it and it became part of the dentistry faculty, big loss.
What happened to the Buttery now?
The buttery was a bit of a cave, we preferred going to other places in town or to the Pav even though we weren't rugger heads.

Who says you have to be a rugger head to go there. I used to go up there all the time. Handy for the lads up in the Hamilton and way better than the Buttery

Deleted User wrote: »

There is a new Lincoln now.

Never new the old one but I do like the new one.

Old one was a bit of a **** hole. New one is a bit to much

book smarts

kearnsr wrote: »

The Pav is the colleges signature bar

Wrong. The Buttery was the heart and soul of the college. The Pav was a summer patio similar to the decking you now have in your back garden.

book smarts

book smarts wrote: »

I'm still raging about that one. Had they nothing else to do? They probably didn't even make that much out of it. "Oh I know, let's destroy TCDs signature bar, and lets destroy the Lincoln while we're at it". WHAT TOTAL A$$HOLES.

Who are you talking about? Who are 'they'?

ilovemybrick

book smarts wrote: »

Wrong. The Buttery was the heart and soul of the college. The Pav was a summer patio similar to the decking you now have in your back garden.

The reason the butery closed was of because of financial losses. Losses made because of poor attendance. There are lots of people who claim that they went to the buttery in the last few years but this is simply not true. If it was the decision would never have had to be made. It was a loss to the college but it was because of the lack of student interest in the buttery.

The big nights at the pav during Trinity term are now much bigger than they were even a few years ago. The atmosphere at these nights can be wonderful.

wesclark

ilovemybrick wrote: »

The reason the butery closed was of because of financial losses. Losses made because of poor attendance. There are lots of people who claim that they went to the buttery in the last few years but this is simply not true. If it was the decision would never have had to be made. It was a loss to the college but it was because of the lack of student interest in the buttery.

The big nights at the pav during Trinity term are now much bigger than they were even a few years ago. The atmosphere at these nights can be wonderful.

Youre right but was there any scope for the SU to highlight it was in difficulty and to launch a "use it or lose it" campaign. I would have made an effort if I realised it was on the way out

ilovemybrick

wesclark wrote: »

Youre right but was there any scope for the SU to highlight it was in difficulty and to launch a "use it or lose it" campaign. I would have made an effort if I realised it was on the way out

I thought the lack of business was fairly obvious. That said a "use it or lose it" campaign would have been a clever move but I reckon it would have ended up as a token gesture rather than a concerted effort. There was no way the union or any college body could mobilise enough student action/support to save the buttery financially and college is not an organisation liable to run things at such a loss for very long.

The Buttery is Dead, Long Live the Buttery

Degsy

I remember the buttery 15 years ago it would be full five days a week with gigs,bands and DJs.
Monday nights even used to have events on.I went in one friday night a few years back and was told they were closing because there was nobody there.I mean not one person.
The barman told me the poor attendence was not unconnected with the sunglasses and Gucci-handbag crowd who suddenly seemed to take over the college.
They'd rather ponce about in Spi and The Palace than drink cheaply on the campus.
The fact that the buttery closed is completely the fault of the students.

Tricity Bendix

Its completely the fault of the management for failing to attract business.

Degsy

b.ie curious wrote: »

Its completely the fault of the management for failing to attract business.

How?They'd done plenty good business since the place opened.Every student knew it was there.They stopped going coz it wasnt "cool" enough for them.

Boston

You say that like its not apart of what a bar is about. Being the cool trendy spot in dublin made the buttery a lot of money in its time.

Also, I think the smoking ban really kicked it in the nuts.

shay_562

Degsy wrote: »

I remember the buttery 15 years ago it would be full five days a week with gigs,bands and DJs.
Monday nights even used to have events on.I went in one friday night a few years back and was told they were closing because there was nobody there.I mean not one person.
The barman told me the poor attendence was not unconnected with the sunglasses and Gucci-handbag crowd who suddenly seemed to take over the college.
They'd rather ponce about in Spi and The Palace than drink cheaply on the campus.
The fact that the buttery closed is completely the fault of the students.

Yep, that's exactly right. The Buttery failed because of a handful of Arts Block students; not because it fell out of touch with the needs of the 14,000students who don't conform to the "Gucci handbags" stereotype, but because of a few D4-heads who prefer the Palace. That's totally rational and not at all based on your own preconceptions, biases or twisted worldview.

Perhaps I genuinely didn't notice, but was any attempt ever made by the college to attract more people to the Buttery? Promotions, events, any of that kind of stuff? The DJs and bands that you mention, how often did the Buttery book that kind of stuff while I was in first year? 'Cause I really don't remember anything like that happening during my time in college; in fact, the few times that the Buttery got filled up was when various student societies and clubs organised events there and dragged people in.

Had there been any kind of warning or, as already mentioned, a use-it-or-lose-it campaign, I think people would have rallied behind it. It may not have been enough, but I reckon people would have at least tried to save the Buttery. But the first I or anyone I know heard about it was when it was already a done deal. So no, I don't think we're entirely blameless in the fact that we don't have a second campus bar any more, but I think a lot more of the blame lies with a college that didn't really care about having a bar there in the first place and managed, through breath-taking incompetence and indifference, to have a bar in the middle of a campus in the middle of Dublin city running at a massive loss. (Honestly, how often do bars in the middle of Dublin close at all, let alone ones with a captive audience of 15,000?)

Degsy

shay_562 wrote: »

Yep, that's exactly right. The Buttery failed because of a handful of Arts Block students; not because it fell out of touch with the needs of the 14,000students who don't conform to the "Gucci handbags" stereotype, but because of a few D4-heads who prefer the Palace. That's totally rational and not at all based on your own preconceptions, biases or twisted worldview.

Perhaps I genuinely didn't notice, but was any attempt ever made by the college to attract more people to the Buttery? Promotions, events, any of that kind of stuff? The DJs and bands that you mention, how often did the Buttery book that kind of stuff while I was in first year? 'Cause I really don't remember anything like that happening during my time in college; in fact, the few times that the Buttery got filled up was when various student societies and clubs organised events there and dragged people in.


Had there been any kind of warning or, as already mentioned, a use-it-or-lose-it campaign, I think people would have rallied behind it. It may not have been enough, but I reckon people would have at least tried to save the Buttery. But the first I or anyone I know heard about it was when it was already a done deal. So no, I don't think we're entirely blameless in the fact that we don't have a second campus bar any more, but I think a lot more of the blame lies with a college that didn't really care about having a bar there in the first place and managed, through breath-taking incompetence and indifference, to have a bar in the middle of a campus in the middle of Dublin city running at a massive loss. (Honestly, how often do bars in the middle of Dublin close at all, let alone ones with a captive audience of 15,000?)

So you admit it was the student societies who stopped plugging the place?
Student societies are,to the best of my knowledge composed of students,many of whom would conform to the sterotype that the barman spoke of.
There wasnt one student in the college who DIDN'T know the place existed they just stopped giving a shiite.
How could "college" be blamed for rising levels of snobbery and apathy amongst the student population.
They provided the students with the bar,traditionally the societies filled the place with Ents and for many years it was a very busy venue.
"College" cannot force Ents officers to use thier venue,especially if the "poor" students are used to hanging out in places like Redz and Spi..the better i presume to show off thier 200 euro haircuts and expensive clothes.
I have worked in college for 15 years and i can see with my own eyes the changes that are occuring.A girl left a glasses case in the library with 600 euro in it and WE had to get in touch to tell her she'd lost it!

Jonathan

Degsy wrote: »

A girl left a glasses case in the library with 600 euro in it and WE had to get in touch to tell her she'd lost it!

Pawn brokers tbh...

Tricity Bendix

Degsy wrote: »

There wasnt one student in the college who DIDN'T know the place existed they just stopped giving a shiite.

And we're back to the original point. The Buttery never had a RIGHT to exist. It only existed to serve a specific function. When it failed to serve this specific function it was ceased to be profitable and shut down. I wouldn't deny that that student tastes have changed over the past 15 years - hell, the entire country is next to unrecognisable from what it was 15 years ago - but the buttery failed because it failed to adapt. Those involved failed to provide an entertaining area for students to hang out. That, and it used to be really easy to roll a joint in peace in there before the smoking ban.

Jonathan

Split the thread perhaps? I quite liked the 5 good and bad point posts

Thread split from 5 good & 5 bad things about Trinity.

shay_562

shay_562 wrote: »

...was any attempt ever made by the college to attract more people to the Buttery? Promotions, events, any of that kind of stuff? The DJs and bands that you mention, how often did the Buttery book that kind of stuff while I was in first year? 'Cause I really don't remember anything like that happening during my time in college; in fact, the few times that the Buttery got filled up was when various student societies and clubs organised events there and dragged people in.

Degsy wrote: »

So you admit it was the student societies who stopped plugging the place?

Wow...for a librarian, your reading skills aren't exactly fantastic. You'll notice that what I said was that for the one year I actually had in college, the student societies were the only people plugging the place. Perhaps they did so less than in years past, but is that really their fault? Are you really saying that, when the college is constantly complaining about not having enough income to sustain courses and mini-Provosts, it's really acceptable for them to just not bother to sustain a potentially huge money-making source in the middle of the campus (because, c'mon. With vaguely intelligent management how can you not make money off a Dublin pub) and instead to turf the entire responsibility for marketing and promoting their pub to student societies?

As for the rest of your post, I maintain that it's massively unfair to stereotype the entire student body based on the worst and most obnoxious of us just because they're the ones who stand out the most.

Thread is getting heated (although I suppose given that it all started with 'GIANT ASSHOLES FROM HELL' that was inevitable) - remember guys, no personal abuse.

enda1

shay_562 wrote: »

With vaguely intelligent management how can you not make money off a Dublin pub) and instead to turf the entire responsibility for marketing and promoting their pub to student societies?

That has got to be true. How could they not make money? There was never an effort by college to promote the place and so of course it declined because it never became a fun place to go. Crap drinks choice didn't help either.

I think they should reopen it as a wine bar! Perfect setting for one. Serve evening food and wine! Followed by cocktails and such.

Ron DMC

enda1 wrote: »

I think they should reopen it as a wine bar! Perfect setting for one. Serve evening food and wine! Followed by cocktails and such.

Somehow I doubt that would pull in much of a student crowd, unless they're serving free food and wine and cocktails. Generally that sort of thing would be outside the price-range of students.

enda1

Ronny Mitchell wrote: »

Somehow I doubt that would pull in much of a student crowd, unless they're serving free food and wine and cocktails. Generally that sort of thing would be outside the price-range of students.

You really think so? This is not the 80's with poor students roaming the streets hungry.

Wine is not necessarily expensive and neither are cocktails, nor food. I think the typical Irish student is sick to death of being treated like the typical student, with everyone expecting htem to put up with **** food, service and drinks because they are students.

I know most of my friends in college spent a descent amount of money on socialising so why not!?

Degsy

Ronny Mitchell wrote: »

Generally that sort of thing would be outside the price-range of students.

Not these days it isnt.
Look at the amount of overpriced lah-de-dah coffee they're buying in placed like Lemon,Sol,Insomnia and that new place over in the Buttery.
It seems students these days have plenty of money...where its coming from is another discussion...

Tricity Bendix

Ronny Mitchell wrote: »

Somehow I doubt that would pull in much of a student crowd, unless they're serving free food and wine and cocktails. Generally that sort of thing would be outside the price-range of students.

Not all cocktails need be expensive. Some can be made quite cheap. It could hardly have hurt to try something different, y'know. Try and make the place a bit more trendy.

However, winebars can't be done on the cheap.

shay_562

Myth wrote:

Thread is getting heated (although I suppose given that it all started with 'GIANT ASSHOLES FROM HELL' that was inevitable) - remember guys, no personal abuse.

Spoilsport!

b.ie_curious wrote:

Not all cocktails need be expensive. Some can be made quite cheap. It could hardly have hurt to try something different, y'know. Try and make the place a bit more trendy.

Word. It seems weird that their initial instinct wasn't "Try promoting the Buttery as is" or "try updating the bar a bit", but instead "Great! Close it and bring in another Java City!"

Degsy wrote:

It seems students these days have plenty of money...where its coming from is another discussion...

Drugs and prostitution, no doubt. Damn students...just don't know what the jazz is all about!

Degsy

shay_562 wrote: »

Drugs and prostitution, no doubt.

..or daddy's ample bank balance..

ApeXaviour

b.ie curious wrote: »

It could hardly have hurt to try something different, y'know. Try and make the place a bit more trendy.

Any effort to try make the place more "trendy" I'm certain would have appeared contrived and driven up prices. What the place needed was more bands and more drink promotions. I stopped going there once they started charging silly amounts for a can of tuborg

Degsy wrote: »

It seems students these days have plenty of money...where its coming from is another discussion...
...
daddy's ample bank balance..

Can we keep sweeping statements to a minimum please?

John

Ents made it very difficult to run events in the buttery when we were trying to put on gigs (3-4 years ago). If you have a good ents officer, the events on will be good and draw a crowd (when I was in second year there was a decent band playing every week with good support bands as well as other events every other evening put on by societies) but if the ents officer is more interested in themselves than liasing with societies then of course the events are going to suck and people won't go.

enda1

ApeXaviour wrote: »

Any effort to try make the place more "trendy" I'm certain would have appeared contrived and driven up prices. What the place needed was more bands and more drink promotions. I stopped going there once they started charging silly amounts for a can of tuborg

It was great for the tuburg alright! I used go every i think thursday night in 1st year (2003/2004) when they had the gigs. remember seeing many a descent band there (and many a ****e one too!).

But seriously, I think them days are over and they couldn't/didn't try adapt to the changing climate. Maybe my continental adventure is changing my perspective but wine bars are great! And they don't have to be so expensive. Was in an amazing one in Paris where they only served too drinks. Water and one type of white wine, only by the bottle.

Was one of the best nights ever! Amazing music and great atmosphere. Bottle was about €10 too so didn't break the bank. Crowd was 16-30 also so right in the student range. Maybe Irish people just still see wine and anything other than beer and spirits as snobby or something. But at least TCD has its fair share of those and how cool would it be to have the countries only student wine bar!

Awayindahils

Degsy wrote: »

..or daddy's ample bank balance..

...or two summer jobs and working another during the year.

Tricity Bendix

ApeXaviour wrote: »

Any effort to try make the place more "trendy" I'm certain would have appeared contrived and driven up prices.

Maybe so. But they tried the dank, dark hole-in-the-ground approach and it got them nowhere. Besides, its uber-trendy now and people seem to like it.

Ron DMC

b.ie curious wrote: »

Maybe so. But they tried the dank, dark hole-in-the-ground approach and it got them nowhere. Besides, its uber-trendy now and people seem to like it.

But there's no alcohol.

Yes, I have a once track mind

Awayindahils

Ronny Mitchell wrote: »

But there's no alcohol.

Yes, I have a once track mind

But it's a decent sized place on campus, which doesn't feel cliquey, where one can loiter with a cup of coffee.

Ron DMC

Awayindahils wrote: »

But it's a decent sized place on campus, which doesn't feel cliquey, where one can loiter with a cup of coffee.

Yeah, but you used to be able to loiter with 4 cans of Tuborg.

Them were the days I tells ya....

Boston

Degsy, your perception of the average trinity student was been warped . The buttery, when it closed, had a horrible atmosphere, I actually started to hate the place. There just wasn't any life in it. And you can say "bastard students, going and changing, its there fault" but reality is that any pub/club which trys the same old formula for a decade is going to go out of business.

Awayindahils

Ronny Mitchell wrote: »

Yeah, but you used to be able to loiter with 4 cans of Tuborg.

Them were the days I tells ya....

Yes I was in college for some of that. And tcd boards bit try to help the buttery in terms of boards beers. :P

But the buttery wasn't putting through the number of people that it is putting through now. I miss the buttery, I actually enjoyed going there, but I can see how its is more profitable and therefore sustainable, now. In fact I've been to the buttery for food far more time this year than the two previous years.

godtabh

When I was in college there was a few mini riots in the Pav and they stopped bands and events going on because of that.

I went to the Pav because to me it was simply better not jsut for the summer but all year round. Many a night I spent out side it in the depths of winter drinking my Bavaria. Happy times.

The butter didnt have the same atmosphere.