Membership Clubs

Meeja Ireland

Does anyone have any information or opinions about members' clubs in Dublin? I mean the kind of place where old buffers sit in armchairs reminiscing about the past, rather than societies devoted to particular activities.

I can think of the Dublin Arts Club, The Stephens Green Hibernian Club, and the Dublin Working Men's Club. The first looks like fun. The second is incredibly elegant, but I imagine you have to pay for membership in diamonds and the blood of a first-born child. I can't find any links or descriptions of the third.

Not to trade too fiercely in stereotypes, they sound like (1) red wine and The Guardian, (2) port and the Telegraph, and (3) Guinness and the Mirror.

Speaking for myself, I'd be more comfortable with (1) or (3), but I'd love to hear more about these, or about any alternatives that people can think of.

Gaspode

First rule of Gentlemen's Clubs - you dont talk about Gentlemen's Clubs!

Meeja Ireland

Gaspode wrote: »

First rule of Gentlemen's Clubs - you dont talk about Gentlemen's Clubs!

I have a vivid image now of being scowled at by Ed Norton in a velvet smoking jacket.

steve_oh

how old do you have to be to join a gentlemens club? and what sort of stuff goes down?

Victor

The Stephens Green Club, the Hibernian Club (now merged), etc. are primarily dining clubs. Essentially restaurants where you didn't have to deal with plebs. My ex-boss's father was a member of one and was shocked one day when I had been left in the front door (to collect some keys) without a jacket on. There is snobbery involved, but it isn't absolute.

Some also provide rooms, essentially private hotels.

Meeja Ireland

steve_oh wrote: »

how old do you have to be to join a gentlemens club? and what sort of stuff goes down?

I saw one where you have to be 34. I think it's largely what Victor said, but there also tend to be reading rooms and a private bar which may be exempt from normal rules about closing hours.

1968

A HIGH Court judge and the Revenue Commissioners have expressed serious concerns about the management of the insolvent Residence private members’ club at St Stephen’s Green in Dublin, whose directors are well-known restaurant owners Simon and Christian Stokes.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0114/1224262292456.html