CPs Overhaul - June 2012

Davyhal

The Factory facebook today posted that it is not being affected by the closure of CPs and will be open this Thursday... I asked about CPs closing as this was the first I had heard of it. The response was as follows:

"A new venue is to be opening there in a couple of weeks time. The new venue is to be an all round social space combining Cafe, Bar, Restaurant, Theatre, Gallery & Club".

Clearly no recession around CPs if they can afford to do an overhaul like this, but am I the only one who thinks that the space is a bit limited to try and fit that much in?! I know Bar/Restaurant can be the one space, but a Theatre, a Gallery & Club?! Where are they getting this much floor space from to pull this off?!

Also, this is gonna cost a lot of money, but if they manage to pull it off, what will this mean for already struggling local food outlets as well as local pubs and clubs?! Will this sort of superpub result in CPs monopolising Galway's social scene?

ciano1

From Advertiser Facebook:

Statement - The popular Central Park Nightclub on the city’s Abbeygate Street closed its doors this past weekend after 24 great years in operation in Galway city. The current owners are set to hand over the reins to a new team with the creation of a brand new, exciting venue for the city

The owners and operators of the premises since 1988 tell, “We are very grateful to all our customers over the past 24 years for their support and loyalty. There have been many great and memorable nights in Central Park and many generations have passed through its doors. However, it is time to bow out and pass the mantle”.

The owners will retain their interest in Halo Nightclub and they are committed to maintaining Halo as one of the leading clubs in Ireland telling, “We will now have the opportunity to spend more time on refining and introducing a new dimension to Halo and are fully committed to this. The recent introduction of a live performance space gives the club much more flexibility in terms of providing the customer with an enhanced entertainment experience. The Upstairs at Halo live session on Friday nights is proving to be very popular, as it provides customers with the opportunity to move from club to live session as they wish.”

John Gillen, Creative Director for the new venue at the former Central Park site - which will be named the ‘Electric Garden & Theatre’ - tells “We saw an opportunity to bring something new and exciting to a market which has seen a lot of sameness. We have some great small venues here but, in terms of clubs, the market has little to offer - entertainment and experience wise - other than cheap drink. But the upside is the huge opportunity this presents. In times like this, the quality stuff stands out even more. Interesting products shine brighter when much of what is around it is dull”.

Gillen continues, “When we look at what's on offer in some of the most innovative nightlife markets: London, New York, Dublin, Belfast, there is such a wealth of creativity and a huge focus on providing quality, mature entertainment and we hope to add some of that to clubbing in Galway. The new venue will be an all round social space combining Bar, Restaurant, Theatre, Gallery & Club. Spread over 5 spaces within the venue it will play host to Djs, Live Music, Comedy, Art, and Performance.”

At the core of the new venue, the nightclub 'E L E C T R I C', will be home to a range of weekly club nights and events along with hosting local and international bands and DJ’s. A number of smaller spaces within the venue will offer a diverse mix of entertainment, drinks and music offerings on any given night. The addition of a separate Rooftop Garden venue with a focus on simple, great food, speciality beers and reworked classic cocktails will make it a uniquely innovative product in the city's nightlife marketplace. Neighbour venue Factory, which was born in February of this year, will also form an integral part of the new product allowing the venue to offer further diversity of entertainment within the building as well as operating as a standalone product with the addition of a daytime coffee house within the space. The premises which is currently undergoing refurbishment to create the multi faceted venue is set to open on Friday 20th July, with International DJ ‘A-Trak’ playing the official opening celebration on Thursday, the 26th July.

The new club will be retaining current staff and will also be creating a further twenty positions within their bar, food, music and entertainment areas of the venue with recruitment now open. CV’s can be forwarded to [email]<snip, see site for mail>[/email]. Keep up to date with developments of the new ‘Electric Garden & Theatre’ on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/electricgardentheatre

The 'Gallery and club' part that you're talking about will probably be Factory since that's not closing at all!

CPs closing is a sad day for galway, the epic nights that were had in there.

Leaving that aside I just cannot understand why they are doing it now and not after the races. Between the ocean race and races they would have cleaned up.

Samich

Samson Greasy Patient wrote: »

CPs closing is a sad day for galway, the epic nights that were had in there.

Leaving that aside I just cannot understand why they are doing it now and not after the races. Between the ocean race and races they would have cleaned up.

First night out in Galway was in Cps in the old one. Loved when it reopened, no club in Galway was like it with the screens and stuff.

cgpg5

Samson Greasy Patient wrote: »

CPs closing is a sad day for galway, the epic nights that were had in there.

Leaving that aside I just cannot understand why they are doing it now and not after the races. Between the ocean race and races they would have cleaned up.

Ya thought that myself. Perhaps the clubs aren't expecting much for the ocean race? They might feel that most of the crowds will gather down the opposite end of town.

Thought it would be more publicised before it closed too! Was the best club in Galway without doubt imo especially when it reopened as Samich said. First club I went to too when I was in LC. Will be missed

Samich

cgpg5 wrote: »

Ya thought that myself. Perhaps the clubs aren't expecting much for the ocean race? They might feel that most of the crowds will gather down the opposite end of town.

Thought it would be more publicised before it closed too! Was the best club in Galway without doubt imo especially when it reopened as Samich said. First club I went to too when I was in LC. Will be missed

Perhaps they'd get a better price selling it now? They could attract buyers with them festivals happening?

BhoscaCapall

Brilliant news. Full of arseholes from the goons standing at the door to the slags falling about the smoking area.

But where will the G4s go now??

Samich

Samich wrote: »

Perhaps they'd get a better price selling it now? They could attract buyers with them festivals happening?

They are not selling though, just renovating and reinventing the place. By the sound of that piece above it has potential to be very good, possibly aiming to a bit of an older crowd than cps was of late. If its half as good as cps was back in the day it will be excellent.

Its going to get awful busy in Halo now though which will be a bit of a pain especially with the big crowds around Galway over the next while, I'd image it will start to fill much earlier than it has been lately.

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

Brilliant news. Full of arseholes from the goons standing at the door to the slags falling about the smoking area.

But where will the G4s go now??

Not whatever peasantry gaff you frequent anyway.

thesandeman

All pubs have a 2am licence for most of the Volvo and the Races so they probably figured not as many people will go to the clubs.

MadYaker

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

Brilliant news. Full of arseholes from the goons standing at the door to the slags falling about the smoking area.

But where will the G4s go now??

Haters gonna hate. I had a few good nights in there.

cgpg5

Love how people are now taking this time to give out about how bad they thought it was, particularly on facebook, yet they ended up in there most nights they were out? Say what you like it got the crowds (before the new smoking area came in you could hardly move in the old one- everyone went there!) and has been Galway's most popular and most well known nightclub over the past couple of decades.
Had some great nights in there myself. Haters gonna hate I guess bit it's no doubt a loss

ciano1

New FB page is up..

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Electric-Garden-Theatre/387600911296871

Asmodean

Wasn't for me at all! Went in there once, never bothered with it again. Can't wait to see what the new venue will be like.