Venue for birthday party

denhaagenite

I know people have asked for venues before but I need to find a wheelchair accessible venue to have a birthday party in the city on the Easter Weekend. There will be about 30 guests including 2 wheelchair users, obviously if anyone knows of free venues that would be great but we are willing to pay if necessary.

Milly33

I dont really know of any in the City centre but the Venue Bar in ballintemple have a room off to the side that is has wheel chair access or most definately Pfizer Golf Club just past Shanbally village is..Great venue for a party

denhaagenite

Thanks for that but it would definitely need to be in the city for easy transport and so that it will remain a surprise for the birthday boy- if we take him out of the city he'll know something is up. Also, there are people travelling from overseas so best to keep it simple.

pwurple

Do you mean a pub or restaurant, or are you looking for a hall that you cater yourself? I would hope that most or all of the big pubs and restaurants are wheelchair accessible. Are they not required to be?

I know from going out and about during the day with a buggy that there are very few places we can't physically get into. I'd pick a few places you would like for the party, and then phone and ask about the accessibility and availability to book off an area.

denhaagenite

We'd be looking for a pub really, we had some in mind but as I said don't know if they are accessible:

An Spailpín
Sober Lane
Mutton Lane
The Boardwalk
Electric

We can't walk in and check unfortunately as we won't be there before the date, and a venues version of accessible and our version may be 2 different things. Just thought I'd check here before anywhere else before doing further research . Also concerned that as it is Easter weekend places might not take bookings/ may be booked out.

evilivor

denhaagenite wrote: »

We'd be looking for a pub really, we had some in mind but as I said don't know if they are accessible:

An Spailpín
Sober Lane
Mutton Lane
The Boardwalk
Electric

We can't walk in and check unfortunately as we won't be there before the date, and a venues version of accessible and our version may be 2 different things. Just thought I'd check here before anywhere else before doing further research . Also concerned that as it is Easter weekend places might not take bookings/ may be booked out.

It is an genuine scandal that in this day that you have to even ask the question - all venues, bars, restaurants should be fully accessible - it should be a condition of their licence.

The City Council did publish an accessibility guide to the city centre a few years ago - it's quite out of date but the venues that have full access will maintain it I'm sure.

http://www.corkcity.ie/yourcommunity/disabilityaccessguidetocorkcitycentre/disability_access_guide.pdf

As for the places you mention, Mutton Lane is a total no-no. Poor access, no toilet facilities.

Boardwalk toilets & public areas wheelchair accessible.

Electric - chair users have to use the secondary side entrance - access to the restaurant, upstairs, is by means of a lift. Can't remember what the access to those silly toilets is like.

Haven't been in the other two recently so don't know.

minidazzler

evilivor wrote: »

It is an genuine scandal that in this day that you have to even ask the question - all venues, bars, restaurants should be fully accessible - it should be a condition of their licence.

Electric - chair users have to use the secondary side entrance - access to the restaurant, upstairs, is by means of a lift. Can't remember what the access to those silly toilets is like.

1. Retrofitting most buildings that currently are not wheelchair accessible would be nigh on impossible. (I've got a sister in a chair, have checked pretty much every place for accessibility. (Though new pubs opening should have it as a condition)

Sober Lane "is" wheelchair accessible, but Easter weekend, and any other weekend the place is so packed that getting the wheelchair to the toilet would take forever.

Electric is Over 25's at the weekend if that's a concern.

An Brog is able to get Wheelchairs in, though I dunno if they actually have Wheelchair toilets.

Old Oak is accessible and has toilets, help will be needed with the doors to the toilets but they'll have room to move.

evilivor

minidazzler wrote: »

1. Retrofitting most buildings that currently are not wheelchair accessible would be nigh on impossible. (I've got a sister in a chair, have checked pretty much every place for accessibility. (Though new pubs opening should have it as a condition.

It shouldn't even be about wheelchair access, buildings should be accessible to all - it's called lifelong living. From a child in a pram or a buggy to an elderly person with a cane or a frame, buildings should be able to deal with people at all stages of living.

But we just have this afterthought of provision of access for "wheelchairs" whereby the bare legal minimum is done and then usually in a half arsed way.

minidazzler

evilivor wrote: »

It shouldn't even be about wheelchair access, buildings should be accessible to all - it's called lifelong living. From a child in a pram or a buggy to an elderly person with a cane or a frame, buildings should be able to deal with people at all stages of living.

But we just have this afterthought of provision of access for "wheelchairs" whereby the bare legal minimum is done and then usually in a half arsed way.

It's simply to expensive for a lot of city center locations to do so. Why should they go into debt in the hope that a few other people can come in, who might not anyway?

In new places grand, but in existing buildings the conversion works would cost too much for too little benefit. They are businesses afterall.

denhaagenite

I think for the city centre buildings especially, it is too much to expect that they are completely accessible- for example what I am really looking for is somewhere with an event space on the ground floor to cater to the needs of our guests, which most " accessible " venues don't have. Everybody has different needs and it would be almost impossible to satisfy all of them. To be honest, a couple of the wheelchair users I know quite like having their little tricks to get around the city .

I'm going to add the Woodford and what used to be Scotts but is now The Oliver Plunkett to the list, thanks for the help and if you have any other advice it would be much appreciated

murphym7

I think the Boardwalk might be the spot - in town, easily accesible, lots of food options and would not think it would be too packed for the guys in the wheelchairs to move around freely, like other city centre pubs might be.

Balmed Out

its expensive but soho has a room for private parties and i think it has a lift too

twowheelsonly

Slightly outside the city centre but the Briar Rose has a party room at the back which is very accessible. Can't remember what their toilets are like though :-(

Mentioned earlier but Easter weekend places in town tend to be fairly packed and it's not the most comfortable for people in wheelchairs, both from a movement point of view and a 'personal space' angle.

denhaagenite

Had a chat with my sister and a friend, the Woodford was suggested so that's booked now. Hopefully it's not too packed on the night and that the guest of honour is sufficiently surprised!

Thanks for the help