The Gentlemans Academy

BigDuffman

Seems fitting for TGC....

Anyone heard anything about this? An entire article about it, but it does not tell you where one might join such an establishment.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0404/1224314336237.html

smallBiscuit

Looks like it could be interesting, possibly a bit pretentious, but that could be the article.


But in anwser to your question .... I first heard of it here, in this thread. A google only shows the IT article and boards posts, so no idea where it is.

It's one to watch out for though

ladhrann

i wonder how interested the general run of males is in that kind of detail? There were various attempts by members here to write a guide for suit buying, wearing, the differences between bespoke and made to measure etc. but it died a death. I wish them the best of luck though, there are so many areas of traditional masculinity that are totally neglected and are not taught any more to sons.

The Corinthian

It looks like some attempt to recreate the gentlemen's clubs of the past. TBH, those institutions are dying (or dead) because of social and demographic shifts; they were set up at a time when men of a certain social level did not really have anywhere to go to associate. They could potentially go to public houses and brothels, but that was about it.

The clubs represented somewhere they could escape their (often arranged) marriages or for company if they were bachelors (or homosexual). Activities tended to revolve around card playing (gambling), dining and drinking. Today very few remain, with most having merged in an attempt to stave off inevitable extinction.

I remember dining at the Friendly Brothers of St Patrick house on Stephen's green about twenty years ago. The meal was uninspiring, overcooked and what you'd expect from a pub. A few years ago I returned, long after they had abandoned the house, and where a bar-restaurant now sits and found a definite improvement in the cuisine.

While I'd applaud any attempt to create greater variety of association for men, I'm not sure what the organizers are trying to do is in touch with modern society. Then again, maybe they've updated the formula accordingly and it will work.

iptba

Not the same thing, but I read an article on a working man's club in Inchicore/Crumlin (?) in the last month or two. I had heard of such things in England but not in Ireland, at least in recent times. Unlike the Gentleman's Academy, one of the things it was for was watching Sky Sports (if I recall correctly). I think people brought their own drink. Can't remember too much now - did a quick search but couldn't locate it. I imagine it was in the Irish Times or Irish Independent.

ladhrann

iptba wrote: »

Not the same thing, but I read an article on a working man's club in Inchicore/Crumlin (?) in the last month or two. I had heard of such things in England but not in Ireland, at least in recent times. Unlike the Gentleman's Academy, one of the things it was for was watching Sky Sports (if I recall correctly). I think people brought their own drink. Can't remember too much now - did a quick search but couldn't locate it. I imagine it was in the Irish Times or Irish Independent.

There are a number of Working Men's clubs as well as Gentlemen's Clubs all over the country. Ones called Mechanic's Clubs for instance were set up in the 19th century to educate tradesmen through a private library and newspaper subscriptions and give men an alternative to the pub. Some survive including one in Galway.

I'd have to say I like the Academy idea although I wouldn't be too fond of the Gentlemen title. A place where guys could go for a tea or a coffee and learn about various topics, for instance anyone here who's interested in straight razor shaving, record collecting, good tailoring, Irish & Scotch whiskey, steel frame bicycles or whatever knows how hard it is to get solid information out of the morass that is the internet.

In other areas theres the men's sheds. Does anyone have experience of these?

BigDuffman

ladhrann wrote: »

.

I'd have to say I like the Academy idea although I wouldn't be too fond of the Gentlemen title. A place where guys could go for a tea or a coffee and learn about various topics, for instance anyone here who's interested in straight razor shaving, record collecting, good tailoring, Irish & Scotch whiskey, steel frame bicycles or whatever knows how hard it is to get solid information out of the morass that is the internet.

I got a reply from the lads after a bit of searching and apparently they will not be looking for new member untill next year (so obviously there is an uptake) but the public events are open to anyone. Eg. cocktail making.

I'll probably swing by one of these events to check out the crowd. As the Gentleman thing has always appealed to me. I love all things old worldy. Be it razors, pipes and general old school gentry. I think the gentleman element is a great idea as a Lads academy would immediately become a MUFC / Celtic sky sports and pro-evo fest. with a subscription to the sun.

That_Guy

BigDuffman wrote: »

I'll probably swing by one of these events to check out the crowd. As the Gentleman thing has always appealed to me. I love all things old worldy. Be it razors, pipes and general old school gentry. I think the gentleman element is a great idea as a Lads academy would immediately become a MUFC / Celtic sky sports and pro-evo fest. with a subscription to the sun.

Ew... Tis FIFA all the way my good man.

Delancey

Will such a ' club ' not inevitably fall victim to some wimmins use of our equality laws to end the men only ethos ?

BigDuffman

I would then say to said wimmins, would they have a problem with me joining the Irish Country-womens Association? Or if I took part in the womens mini-marathon. I would then question what they are doing out of the kitchen

The Corinthian

Delancey wrote: »

Will such a ' club ' not inevitably fall victim to some wimmins use of our equality laws to end the men only ethos ?

Probably not. In the past, associations such as the traditional gentlemen's clubs and golf clubs were mainly targeted because of the business networking ("old boys" network) that they allegedly represented and exclusion from these would be considered discriminatory for this reason. Unless such a club were to take off and effectively become a serious outlet for business networking, it's unlikely that there would be objections beyond the most extreme femnazi quarters.

Of course, if it did or if someone set up a men's business association, there would be objections, but society has moved on and feminist groups no longer hold the moral high ground in this area given the proliferation of women's business groups over the last twenty years.

ladhrann

Its worth noting that they do not state it is a men only club. I assume they wouldn't turn away a woman who wanted to learn about 'men's topics'.