Do you remember Henry J's, Dillingers, Woodies, Central Park?

Lady Chatterton

Maiden, Angelfire09 and I were having a chat here on boards earlier this evening and we started reminiscing about venues we remember from our youth. (which was only a couple of years ago) :)

Here are some of the ones that were mentioned -

"The Lifford" - very popular pub if you were a girl who wanted a biker boyfriend or wanted to play pool.

"Dillingers Bar & Snooker Hall" - Used to be a great place for live music. Does anyone remember when the band "Big Generator" were very popular?

"Henry J's Cocktail Bar" - Shane Kelly was a barman there. he was Ennis' answer to Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Anyone remember the beach parties?

Brogans was also really popular, a real townies pub. I no longer live in Ennis but when I go home I love to head to Brogans where you will always meet a friendly face

So fellow Clare boardies where did you hang out in your youth?

finbarrk

I remember Big Generator in the Banner Arms allright. Leydens in the Market used to have good rock bands too. I think thats Patricks now, or maybe the Usual Place.

maiden

My main hangouts were the Lifford, the Banner and Dillengers!

Big Generator played in the Queens last week and seemingly have a huge following!

I remember drinking in the Lifford in my colaiste 3rd year uniform! Jaysus i was sooooo bold!

I think i was only in leydens once to see Killerwatt, was in the Banner ALOT!

coffeelover

MrsD007 wrote: »

Brogans was also really popular, a real townies pub. I no longer live in Ennis but when I go home I love to head to Brogans where you will always meet a friendly face

Is Brogans not closed down?

ClareVisitor

I used to play snooker in Dillingers during lunch times when I was at school.

Big Generator had a decent following in London as well when I came back over here, I remember them playing around Cricklewood/Kilburn/Willesden and getting decent crowds.

Lady Chatterton

coffeelover wrote: »

Is Brogans not closed down?

No, but the owners are retiring so they have put the pub on the market .

Clareman

I remember when the Market was the happening place in town, Henry's, Gracies, Dillingers (Drinking Emporium), El Paso. I used to place a lot of snooker in Dillinger's, when it was a proper snooker hall. MT's was the spot to go as well for a while, I remember watching the first Collins Eubank fight there, had a great night

pappyodaniel

Clareman wrote: »

I remember when the Market was the happening place in town, Henry's, Gracies, Dillingers (Drinking Emporium), El Paso. I used to place a lot of snooker in Dillinger's, when it was a proper snooker hall. MT's was the spot to go as well for a while, I remember watching the first Collins Eubank fight there, had a great night

Henry J's had sit in arcade games if memory serves me. I bloody hated the place but had no choice but to go there as my mates at the time used to love it. overcrowded, overpriced and over-rated.

Clareman

Yeah, it had games, it also had a very good pool table, I remember playing there all day 1 Saturday in fear of my life, it was winner stays on and I just couldn't miss, but a lot of the "regulars" wanted a game, I was warned that if I threw a game that I wasn't getting out with my thumbs.

MT's had games as well, many the pound coin that went into Daytona, a mate of mine was rubbish on it until he was tanked, really not an advertisement for drink driving.

alibride

i remember getting served in gracies in my blue colaiste uniform!!!!
i still have a henry j's menu (i know im sad) 3pt pitcher of beer 8.95 cocktails 2.75 - thats when you cud have a good nite on 20 pounds (or a tenner if u had the naggin in the bag).....:D

Clareman

Ahhh, getting Black Russians, no ice (took up space) for 3 quid. Impossible to get a taxi home, waiting in ET Cabs (across from the Abbey) for a cab for hours, some nights you might get a shift

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

Yeah, it had games, it also had a very good pool table, I remember playing there all day 1 Saturday in fear of my life, it was winner stays on and I just couldn't miss, but a lot of the "regulars" wanted a game, I was warned that if I threw a game that I wasn't getting out with my thumbs.

MT's had games as well, many the pound coin that went into Daytona, a mate of mine was rubbish on it until he was tanked, really not an advertisement for drink driving.

Mmmm.... I would have been one of those regulars waiting to play a game on a saturday afternoon
I was on the Clare pool team for my sins

Did you get beaten (on the table) by many women Clareman? :D

Clareman

I think I was only there twice on a Saturday afternoon, first time I played 1 game and ended up getting blocked on black Russians, the second time has already been recanted

I was asked to play for the Mr D's pool team but I was worries it would ruin my snooker game, the fact I was useless at snooker ruined that

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

I think I was only there twice on a Saturday afternoon, first time I played 1 game and ended up getting blocked on black Russians, the second time has already been recanted

I was asked to play for the Mr D's pool team but I was worries it would ruin my snooker game, the fact I was useless at snooker ruined that

:D

Maybe we should organise a Clare Boardsie's meet up.... somewhere with a pool table.... I actually still have my own cue
Sad I know!

Aglomerado

MrsD007 wrote: »

"Dillingers Bar & Snooker Hall" - Used to be a great place for live music. Does anyone remember when the band "Big Generator" were very popular?

Ah Portumna's finest! They played at my secondary school Debs in the Auburn Lodge back in 1994. Great band.

I've always liked going to Brogans whenever I'm in Ennis, lovely atmosphere in there.

anthony4335

Didn't the Big Generator mainly play in Henry's? Dillinger's had some great bands play there in the early 90's. I really do miss the live music, also Kearney's beer garden.

Clareman

Big G played my grad as well, 95, great summer that

I still have my queue as well, but it's just for snooker. Boards meetup could be done I guess

angelfire9

Aglomerado wrote: »

Ah Portumna's finest! They played at my secondary school Debs in the Auburn Lodge back in 1994. Great band.

I've always liked going to Brogans whenever I'm in Ennis, lovely atmosphere in there.

Colaiste Grad or the CBS?

Davyhal

Big Generator are still going strong, mainly playing around Galway though. Saw them in Charlies a few Thursdays a few years back. They actually made a music video filmed around Ennis there about 4 years ago if I remember rightly. 2 of my mates were quite proud of the fact that they appeared in it. Think it is called "One Minute" or something like that.

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

Big G played my grad as well, 95, great summer that

I still have my queue as well, but it's just for snooker. Boards meetup could be done I guess

Is there anywhere in Ennis that still has a pool table?

Davyhal

angelfire9 wrote: »

Is there anywhere in Ennis that still has a pool table?

Good old Brandons has a pool table again since they did it up there last summer

Battleflag

Brewery has a pool table too

Lady Chatterton

Clareman wrote: »

Big G played my grad as well, 95, great summer that

I remember the summer of 95 too, it was wonderful summer weather wise and of course who could forget September '95 in Croke Park. I hope we will see days like that again

angelfire9

Battleflag wrote: »

Brewery has a pool table too

Not fond of brandons but this I must check out!

Clareman

I didn't know The Brewery had a pool table, I was under the impression that the only places in town with tables were Brandons and The Lifford.

Back to the topic a bit, the Banner Breakfast in Gracies was fantastic, came with chips, that and a pint would sort you out every time.

maiden

I fell out of the lifford and banner more times than i care to remember!! I think the bouncers name at the time was Graham, he gave it up then to open Little Theatre down mary Kellys lane.

My memory is a bit vague of my teenage years.....

Lady Chatterton

Anyone remember a bouncer called "Pavarotti" - he was a really sound guy. I also remember another really nice bouncer called Francie Mahon. One night after much dancing, he superglued a stiletto heel back on for me

angelfire9

MrsD007 wrote: »

Anyone remember a bouncer called "Pavarotti" - he was a really sound guy. I also remember another really nice bouncer called Francie Mahon. One night after much dancing, he superglued a stiletto heel back on for me

I know Francie, have done since I was a kid, a real gent!

Lady Chatterton

angelfire9 wrote: »

I know Francie, have done since I was a kid, a real gent!

I'd like to think that there are still some bouncers out there like Francie, he was great man for looking out for and advising youngsters.

Auldloon

Clareman wrote: »

I didn't know The Brewery had a pool table, I was under the impression that the only places in town with tables were Brandons and The Lifford.

Back to the topic a bit, the Banner Breakfast in Gracies was fantastic, came with chips, that and a pint would sort you out every time.

I lived in Gracie's every weekend for years in the early 90's. The Alvin purple love experience every Sunday night..
I made membership of an exclusive club there called "the breakfast club".
Rules were simple.
Breakfast and a pint. Followed by a million more pints. Only thing you were allowed to leave for was a visit to the ATM.
Another feed in the evening was allowed but frowned on and The Queens was compulsory...
Those were the days:)

willow tree

ah, this is bringing back memories id long forgotten.. always in the lifford mid 90s and onto the roslevan... thought it was class:o
pool in dillingers on saturday although i was crap...
loved brandons back then, great bands and atmosphere, funny times:D

Run_to_da_hills

angelfire9 wrote: »

Is there anywhere in Ennis that still has a pool table?

Pockets has one, I know two more are under tarp out the back. Mike had to remove them because he had problems with the creamers.

No one mentioned Brandons "Nightclub" when you once had to pay to get in.

Aglomerado

angelfire9 wrote: »

Colaiste Grad or the CBS?

Neither! I went to Tulla

Shapey Fiend

I used frequent The Portal Stall (Dillingers last incarnation) because they were very lax on asking for ID. Definitely miss the arcade machines I always had a game of Scud Race in there.

Laterly I frequented El Pasos, Henry J's (1 pound shots.. dangerous), Cloister (pool of piss you had to vault over to get to the urinal) and Pockets which was packed with yoke heads.

willow tree

we used to call el paso- el tractor because all the bagels went there but we were bagels ourselves i guess:rolleyes:

Clareman

Ahhh, the Stall, that was a bit of a crèche, El Tractor (El Wellie) as well.

We're also forgetting Sullies, that used to be my main haunt when I moved back to Ennis, I couldn't understand why ladies went there, massive queue for the Ladies toilets, then I remembered it was cause I was there

Lady Chatterton

Ennis Rugby Club was a late night venue for a brief period of time in the mid 90's, bands used to play there and it was a great place for after hours.

I'm wondering if other people did this or maybe it was just my group of friends - if we were too broke to go to a nite club or if anyone had difficulty getting into the nite club, we used to get a taxi to the West County or the Auburn and we would gate crash a wedding. Both hotels would have the names of the couple displayed on a board so if we were asked why we were there, we would say we were friends of John or Mary etc.

angelfire9

MrsD007 wrote: »

Ennis Rugby Club was a late night venue for a brief period of time in the mid 90's, bands used to play there and it was a great place for after hours.

I'm wondering if other people did this or maybe it was just my group of friends - if we were too broke to go to a nite club or if anyone had difficulty getting into the nite club, we used to get a taxi to the West County or the Auburn and we would gate crash a wedding. Both hotels would have the names of the couple displayed on a board so if we were asked why we were there, we would say we were friends of John or Mary etc.

Mmmm... and us poor sods working in the Auburn used to go demented getting the place emptied at 2am
I know who to blame now! :D

Clareman wrote: »

Ahhh, the Stall, that was a bit of a crèche, El Tractor (El Wellie) as well.

We're also forgetting Sullies, that used to be my main haunt when I moved back to Ennis, I couldn't understand why ladies went there, massive queue for the Ladies toilets, then I remembered it was cause I was there

Sullies had ample seating... high heels = tired legs you know!
(well you probably don't know)

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

I used frequent The Portal Stall (Dillingers last incarnation) because they were very lax on asking for ID. Definitely miss the arcade machines I always had a game of Scud Race in there.

Laterly I frequented El Pasos, Henry J's (1 pound shots.. dangerous), Cloister (pool of piss you had to vault over to get to the urinal) and Pockets which was packed with yoke heads.

I never went to the Porter Stall, Henry's yes (for the pool table)
I met my hubby in El Paso!

Lady Chatterton

angelfire9 wrote: »

Mmmm... and us poor sods working in the Auburn used to go demented getting the place emptied at 2am
I know who to blame now! :D

It is a small world

In those days everyone seemed to know each other.

Clareman

Ahh, gate crashing weddings, that was very popular for a while, I'll never understand why, can't ever remember going to the rugby club, the Grive was the place for late drink for ages, that was before the raves

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

Athe Grive was the place for late drink for ages, that was before the raves

The Green Grove??

Clareman

That was shocking typing by me wasn't it?

Yeah, The Roslevin, they had a pool table there and all if I remember correctly although I was never exactly sober heading out there I have to admit. They had raves there in the early noughties

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

That was shocking typing by me wasn't it?

Yeah, The Roslevin, they had a pool table there and all if I remember correctly although I was never exactly sober heading out there I have to admit. They had raves there in the early noughties

Changed its name after the murder
I remember that
I also remember walking the dog down that way past green fields ... all gone now just bloody houses everywhere :mad:

Clareman

Was there a murder there? Can't remember that, must be getting old. A lot of people don't realise that the dump used to be where Corrovorin is now

Lady Chatterton

Clareman wrote: »

Was there a murder there? Can't remember that, must be getting old. A lot of people don't realise that the dump used to be where Corrovorin is now

Yes, back in the early eighties a young girl called Denise Cox was murdered outside the Green Grove, a local man was convicted at the time. He was picked up by the gardai the day after the murder.

Cracking Crime is a documentary series looking at high-profile murders in Ireland - state pathologists and the Gardai are employed in the investigation. Looking at the case of Denise Cox who was the victim of a brutal, fatal, stabbing outside a pub outside a pub in Ennis in August 1983. The perpetrator was Frank Daly - a known criminal with psychiatric problems.

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

Was there a murder there? Can't remember that, must be getting old. A lot of people don't realise that the dump used to be where Corrovorin is now

I'm afraid I'm not old enough to remember Corrovorrin as anything but a housing estate... Was it not built in the 60's??

As for the murder there was one in the Banner Arms as well around the same time, another stabbing, murder was so rare then it was big news!!

Clareman

I can't remember it being anything but houses either, then again I was born in 78 (I know I'm old).

How about the Derrynane, anyone frequent there?

angelfire9

Clareman wrote: »

I can't remember it being anything but houses either, then again I was born in 78 (I know I'm old).

How about the Derrynane, anyone frequent there?

You're not old I'm older than u
As for the Derrynane yep I worked there one summer great place for hot chocolate and toasties (not neccesarily together)

maiden

Yeah I remember both of those murders clearly!

Anyone remember Howleys where Charlies is now? Not too long ago but was a frequenter of Lucas' back bar, even the very first one that fit around 5 people!

Lady Chatterton

I'm around the same age as you Clareman. I had a summer job in Ennis so I used to have my lunch in the Derrynane almost everyday. I remember my boyfriend (at the time) and I having coffees in the evening, Paul Kerin was a barman there and he was always great at offering free top ups to the regulars, he was a real gent. He was a postie during the day and in the evening he was a barman in the Derrynane. The coffee in the Derrynane was excellent. The Carrs were such a lovely family, old Michael Carr (RIP), Mrs. Carr and Kyran.

Lady Chatterton

angelfire9 wrote: »

I'm afraid I'm not old enough to remember Corrovorrin as anything but a housing estate... Was it not built in the 60's??

As for the murder there was one in the Banner Arms as well around the same time, another stabbing, murder was so rare then it was big news!!

I remember the murder in the Banner Arms, it was a young guy from Cork who was in Ennis for the weekend and the guy sitting next to him in the Banner pulled a knife on him. It was really awful at the time.