Ah Castlebar...

Shiminay · 09-01-2008 6:06pm #1

I was back in my home town of Castlebar last week (ok, I'm officially from Breaffy, so shoot me

) and I was delighted to see there's still nothing to do there except go to Mulroys second rate cinema / bowling alley / etc or the usual crap pubs.

Does anyone ever think there'll ever be anything worth doing in the town. Ever?

My housemate described it best: "Castlebar is like a black hole that sucks away all your ambition and drive and turns it into the shape of a pub" (he moved there from Dublin when he was 6 and has been back in Dublin for college for 3+ years).

My mates who work in the TF said that they're lucky to see 50 - 60 people in the night club on a weekend and Mantra seems to be jammed with reds (as in necks). I worked there about 10 years ago and it was the same back then. You'd think with all the vast amount of shops and things that have gone into the town in recent years there'd be some manner of decent night club?

Thoughts/comments/objections/outrage?

prendy · 09-01-2008 6:09pm

agreement....i shudder at the thought of going out at home!

Bob the Builder · 11-01-2008 11:05pm

Ever since the intro's of certain laws like the smoking ban(which I agree with), and the Children not allowed into the pubs after 9pm law(which I dissagree with to a certain extent), things began going downhill faster than ever.

de5p0i1er · 14-01-2008 8:43pm

The night life will never change until the urban council give permission to build another night club and they won't do that as Mc Hugh is friends with the FF crew and Jennings is friends with the FG crew so the have a word in the ear when ever anyone trys to change anything.

isthatyoudave? · 03-02-2008 6:39pm

big up the reds.....We all meet in Rockys first then on to mantra! Check shirt and cords rule!:D

offaly1 · 04-02-2008 10:26am

isthatyoudave? wrote: »

big up the reds.....We all meet in Rockys first then on to mantra! Check shirt and cords rule!:D

Never been out in castlebar....but check shirts and cords are just a midlands thing i take it now!! typical "Farmers" as they would say down the country!

been to a few pubs in swinford...ok maybe just a couple,it was grand, although it would have helped if i knew more people!!!:p

donmeister · 11-02-2008 6:34pm

such a pity that new elverys on main st. didnt turn into a massive nightclub!that would have been great!oh wellz..............

themadchef · 12-02-2008 12:38am

donmeister wrote: »

such a pity that new elverys on main st. didnt turn into a massive nightclub!that would have been great!oh wellz..............

True, Castlebar badly needs a decent night club...I wonder why Castlebar feels it needs two Elverys? That place was great when it was Bolgers:D

Shiminay · 12-02-2008 11:15am

I was the Santy in Bolgers one year (14 years ago when I was just 16!!!) - great craic*

Also: Castlebar is Stauntons/Elverys home town, they gotta represent!

Bring back Unisport West

* may not strictly be true

donmeister · 12-02-2008 12:50pm

all in all,castlebar is ****,for nights out,entertainment in general,lol,but recently with the springin up of these huges shops,like harvey normans,argos,next etc means than mayo people dont actually have to go to galway to get a decent pair of jeans!haha! i liked castlebar more when the place wasn't full of foreigners,bit racist,but hey its true

benbulbin · 12-02-2008 1:05pm

What ever you think of Elverys it is better than what was there for several years, the site had so much potential yet was left as an eyesore to rot on the towns main st.

The new shopping area that has grown up around Tesco and the other retail parks are great for the town, it's now the main shopping location outside of Galway and Sligo. However it's a shame the area looks as if everything has been designed around car parks, with the exposed location it's not always the nicest place to visit or walk around. Market square also seems very cold and un-inviting, why do we insist on using concrete and dark stone everywhere given our wet and windy climate! Do our ever planners think about creating people friendly environments when they grant all these developments.

Main st no longer feels like the heart of the town and has become very dull with little to attract people in. It would be good to see the town council come up with a plan to pedestrianise and maintain a busy main street with good quality urban design and facilities to create an attractive center.

Shiminay · 12-02-2008 1:57pm

Pedestrianising Main St's been talked about for at least 10 years if not more. It may or may not work though, I dunno, traffic still seems to be retarded in Castlebar (I found it to be as bad at peak times than anything I've seen in town here in Dublin). The street itself could do with a bitta life though.

There's definitely a lot of scope to improve the look of the area around Tesco/McDonalds/Homebase et all but I fear they may have left it too late for it to look like anything more than an afterthought (which it clearly would be at this stage).

themadchef · 12-02-2008 7:04pm

Have to agree Castlebar is great for shopping these days. I'm wondering though, whats the deal with Penney's?. I always went to Penney's whenever i went shopping in C'bar. Thing is, since all the major shops are right at the other side of the town now, i.e. Homebase, Tesco, Next, Shaws and Argos to name a few. I find i never bother trecking across town for one shop.

I barely ever frequent mainstreet (banks if necessary). I wonder why Penney's don't move. They are bound to be feeling a loss of trade (obviously i'm not the only one who avoids that end of town now).

Another thing i noticed is the new Aldi did not seem to be as busy as the old one, location, location, location. People often used to park there, do the family shop and run off and do the other few errands they had or just skip across from Tesco for a few bits and bobs. Now you have to go there speciffically and drive and park further into town to do the rest of your shopping...wonder if it's going to turn out to be a bad move?

Bob the Builder · 12-02-2008 9:44pm

themadchef wrote: »

Now you have to go there speciffically and drive and park further into town to do the rest of your shopping...wonder if it's going to turn out to be a bad move?

Yes, i noticed that.

I go to the €2 shop & Heatons, but besides that, I never go shopping anywhere away from Link Road and around there...

donmeister · 13-02-2008 12:03am

themadchef wrote: »

I barely ever frequent mainstreet (banks if necessary). I wonder why Penney's don't move. They are bound to be feeling a loss of trade (obviously i'm not the only one who avoids that end of town now).

Its a matter of pride,your forgetting this is where Castlebar had the 'original' shopping centre,haha, remember gavins bakery/coffee shop,pennies,super valu,the shop and jewellers??....ahh good memories....i tink?there too damn stubborn to move lol

Shiminay · 13-02-2008 12:52pm

They might also have been locked into a long term lease with whoever built that shopping centre (Tony McHugh, wasn't it?).

One thing that really sums up the whole Castlebar experience for me was the internet café place opposite the town hall tried to get some gaming going in their upstairs bit but neglected to get any PCs capible of playing games and didn't even have the machines connected to the internet! I went in with a couple of mates and after waiting literally 5 minutes for Battlefield 2 to load, I went back down stairs and asked for my money back. I nearly smashed the place up on principle

I was just completely un-able to process this - how on earth could you advertise your place as doing networked gaming without internet connections and the ability to run at the very least, a 2 year old game???

Sure we have things, but scratch under the surface and you'll see we're still a shithole country town...

Ruadan · 14-02-2008 7:34pm

oh gods its horrible! teh welcome inn shows the same cross secton of town every night;

Mantrathur, sat, sun night; ages 16-21, hammered, rude, too much money, no sense, complain that theres no other nite club, packed in. almost exactly the same croud each and every night.

The Lounge fri, sat nite; Ages 16-70, largely hammered, complain that theres not many late bars, teh place usually overpacked by about 50%, makes getting a drink and working behind that horribly designed bar a nightmare. tends to be the kind of place most people don't go to very regularly.

There is 1 pub i can relax and hang out in in castlebar, every other one is horrific, and the place is a cultural backwater with all the apeal of an industrial estate (which half the town now appears to be)

Shiminay · 15-02-2008 10:39am

I don't think anyone's ever put it so elloquently

I agree though, the bar in the lounge of the Welcome Inn was not very well laid out. Coulda been if some time and thought and crowd analysis on a typical busy night was done

Loads of my mates go there though as it's really the only option they feel they have. I used to head to Coxes a lot when I was working in Breaffy House with the work mates and there were usually enough of us to take over a big enough section that we could make our own fun. I always got *very* drunk to block out the horrific noise and people around me

redmosquito · 15-02-2008 3:19pm

Kharn wrote: »

traffic still seems to be retarded in Castlebar

Traffic in town is sickening. Having lived in galway for two years of college, I can say that i prefer being stuck in morning traffic on the way to college in the morning in galway than being stuck at peak times in castlebar.

A couple of months back, when a bit of the ring road was closed for an accident, it took me 45 mins to get from gallows hill to davitt house, a total distance of about 1.5 miles!!!

Despite not having any decent nightclub in the town, I still have good craic going out, I go out 2-3 times a week and still have a good laugh most nights!

Ruadan · 15-02-2008 4:57pm

Kharn wrote: »

I agree though, the bar in the lounge of the Welcome Inn was not very well laid out. Coulda been if some time and thought and crowd analysis on a typical busy night was done

but that would have cost money, bad as it is outside on the inside it appears to have been designed bu a blind monkey with no thumbs. my abiding memory of the redevelopment of the lounge is a certain member of the bar staff stood on a brand new stool in uniform screwing in ceiling brackets on the night before it officially opened.

Bob the Builder · 15-02-2008 8:32pm

redmosquito wrote: »

I still have good craic going out, I go out 2-3 times a week and still have a good laugh most nights!

Alco!

Nightlife in Westport is better imo... shopping in castlebar is kick ass... pitty i'm not a girl

themadchef · 16-02-2008 9:54pm

Brought my sister with me shopping yesterday in Castlebar. all she kept muttering was "dump of a town". Appauled at "the state of main street...KIP" Everything just looks so grotty.

In fairness though the place needs a serious face lift. A lot of investment and pedestrianisation would be a start. Coffee shops and eateries with tables flowing out on to the pavement. Juice bars, wine bars, dear God, even a nice ordinary bar? (why do all the bars on main street seem dark and dingy?)

As for the night life, all i can say is it could always be worse our local night club is lovingly referred to as "The shed" .......been a long, long time since i had the courage or level of drink required to boogie on down there

stevethesatguy · 21-03-2008 8:14pm

have to say that having moved to here from cork city and having spent 16 years living in London that people are people and a night out is what you make it, spent last sunday night in ballynahinch, antrim, very very small town , only one half decent pub and i had a ball, drank and danced the night away, met a load of people and would definetly go back.

I have had some great nights out in Castlebar in recent times, but maybe thats down to the fact that I am from Cork and sure we just get on with it.

Dellboy2007 · 26-03-2008 3:38pm

As bad as castlebar *might* be, it still has a lot more to offer then some other towns in Mayo. Take for example Kiltimagh, Balla, Knock, Claremorris, Charlestown, Foxford etc. Ye should count your blessings your not from any of these places. Seriously some of these places don't even have 1 (Ahem, yes 1!) Nightclub. Seriously if it's that bad either, go to westport or stay at home with your slippers and nightdress!!!!

PogMoThoin · 26-03-2008 11:29pm

Dellboy2007 wrote: »

As bad as castlebar *might* be, it still has a lot more to offer then some other towns in Mayo. Take for example Kiltimagh, Balla, Knock, Claremorris, Charlestown, Foxford etc. Ye should count your blessings your not from any of these places. Seriously some of these places don't even have 1 (Ahem, yes 1!) Nightclub. Seriously if it's that bad either, go to westport or stay at home with your slippers and nightdress!!!!

You've obviously not been to Charlestown then.
Why would You need nightclubs when the pubs don't close? No entrance fee and pints at the same prices.

bandit197 · 26-03-2008 11:43pm

Kharn wrote: »

My mates who work in the TF said that they're lucky to see 50 - 60 people in the night club on a weekend and Mantra seems to be jammed with reds (as in necks). I worked there about 10 years ago and it was the same back then. You'd think with all the vast amount of shops and things that have gone into the town in recent years there'd be some manner of decent night club?

Thoughts/comments/objections/outrage?

Reds? Rednecks? Sorry mate, you may think that being from Breaffy makes you different, but trust me, in the eyes of a Dub you're as red as the rest of us:D

Samhain · 13-04-2008 12:21pm

Down here, being a redneck isnt about where you are from, its a state of mind. Castlebar sucks major ass but i prefer it over Galway/Dublin anytime.

rattlenhum · 17-04-2008 6:43am

FISHEADS aargh! lol, full of scumbags n spinners, where wud ye be without tesco eh???? aha pimp my sniper:D

kevmy · 17-04-2008 2:46pm

One of the main problems Castelbar has is the proximity of Westport. It'll only 10 mins down the road yet has loads of good pubs, a daycent nightclub and seems to avoid alot of, shall we say, skangers that Castlebar seems to attract.

Really though what Castlebar needs is smajor redevelopment in the centre of town. The mall and main st. should be done up. Throw in a few nice pubs and even just a redevelopment of one of the existing nightclubs would go a long way. Pity really cos some of the crowds that go to the stuff on in the TF could really bring in some cash instead of just fecking off to Westport or home.

irishgeo · 17-04-2008 8:10pm

westport niteclub is packed at 1am when the last time you seen niteclub full in castlebar.

i cant recall the last time i was in the tf.

Bosh,Bar One, The Lounge for me due to the pure lack of options.

What happened to Cox's it used to be the place to be seen in once.

Shiminay · 17-04-2008 9:50pm

Aye, many's the night I stumbled out of Cox's in a heap only to find Cresham waiting for me to bring me home

As for Ms Samhain there, every time I visit her (and her ilk), she's complaining about how there's nothing doing, yet she still prefers it to the bigger towns - confusing!

Kevmy may have stumbled onto a good point though - Westport has the name of being athe place to go and so more people will always go there. Castlebar for the shopping - Westport for the drinking. It does seem that there are a higher number of skangers in Castlebar though...

Thanx 4 The Fish · 17-04-2008 11:51pm

That;s because the taxi drivers will not pick them any more knowing as they do that the filthy little gets won't pay

de5p0i1er · 18-04-2008 4:41pm

irishgeo wrote: »

What happened to Cox's it used to be the place to be seen in once.

Everyone found out about the place and it was soon filled with 70 year old farmers and 17 year old slappers.

My 2000th post

redmosquito · 19-04-2008 3:07pm

irishgeo wrote: »

westport niteclub is packed at 1am when the last time you seen niteclub full in castlebar.

Still doesn't explain why it is one of the most, if not the most, horrible nightclubs in Connacht!!

de5p0i1er wrote: »

Everyone found out about the place and it was soon filled with 70 year old farmers and 17 year old slappers.

My 2000th post

Add into that, that on pretty much any night of the week you'll find a good few middle aged divorced women looking for anything going, especially from younger lads and staff of the place (Trust me, I worked there 5 years ago and fell victim to said kind of women on one particular evening, and it's only got worse since then!!)

I.design · 25-04-2008 12:50am

The first problem with Castlebar is the moaners......negativity day in and day out. If you pedestrianised Main St, people in Castlebar wouldn't walk on it because you took away their right to drive on it.
If you want to talk about developments, look at the dismal attempt and developments that one Tony Gaughan is putting up.....all that money and not an ounce of proper design behind it. Looks bleahh....

Elvery's would never worked as a night club.....too narrow!! The old Cinema on Spencer St maybe is big enough.

If you want to liven up the centre of town, I propose the opening of Canon's pub in market square.....for those who don't know, it opens one day every year to trade so it can keep its licence. Get a weekly trad session going there...

Castlebar will only get a bit of soul into the place when Mayo win an All Ireland......its just so depressing! :mad:

Oh.....I'm from Castlebar too...

Mike... · 26-04-2008 12:37am

Screw the pubs, never figured out why everyone complains about their being no stuff to do. Unless your a pathetic weirdo who like playing with warhammer stuff, there is a fair bit to get up.

All people need to do is stop thinking about the pub all the time and get out of the house.. better for your health and your pocket

I.design · 26-04-2008 12:48am

*mono* wrote: »

All people need to do is stop thinking about the pub all the time and get out of the house.. better for your health and your pocket

Agreed!!!

donmeister · 26-04-2008 1:43pm

with all the said problems about living in castlebar,it could be worse,you could live in ballina

kevmy · 28-04-2008 2:14pm

redmosquito wrote: »

Still doesn't explain why it is one of the most, if not the most, horrible nightclubs in Connacht!!

Ahh now I wouldn't be that hard on it. It's grand especially since it's been done up. Not saying it's Vegas or anything but it's in a damn sight better condition than a lot of nightclubs I've found myself in

Bob the Builder · 29-04-2008 1:07am

What difference does it make to be honest. It's too expensive. I have an alcoholic of a brother, and he won’t go to the oub because it's too expensive. Instead, he goes to a forest in the town and goes drinking with all the underage people.

I hate to be a prick by bringing this thread off topic, but I believe this is has been knocked on by the new laws of not allowing your children into a pub after 9 o'clock. I dont think the anti-smoking one hit too much, but the one forbidding children from being on a licensed premises after 9pm is a tad ridiculous. On my own confirmation night, I was hastily shovelled out of a pub because there was a few cops hanging around Westport at the time.

Now, for people like me, we just pay someone to go to an off-license, get us drink and then we and go drinking in a field somewhere. It was a law originally intended to help children, but it actually made things worse, because at least in a pub, the publican may refuse to serve you if your over drunk.. in a bush, you drink whatever you got, and you might go unconscious "for the craic"...

New government legislation has stopped locals from going into pubs, and now pubs all over the county (including Westport for that matter) are depending solely on tourism. The day of the pub is over. It is now the reign of the off-license. you can bring your children into your house, you can smoke in your house, and you've no penalty points to worry about.

In all fairness to Westport, we have a reasonably low concentrate of skangers, but they're plain to be seen in Castlebar.

btw, I'm 15, and live in westport.

dcukhunter · 29-04-2008 2:50am

Dellboy2007 wrote: »

As bad as castlebar *might* be, it still has a lot more to offer then some other towns in Mayo. Take for example Kiltimagh, Balla, Knock, Claremorris, Charlestown, Foxford etc. Ye should count your blessings your not from any of these places. Seriously some of these places don't even have 1 (Ahem, yes 1!) Nightclub. Seriously if it's that bad either, go to westport or stay at home with your slippers and nightdress!!!!

I come from Kiltimagh might not have a nightclub anymore but go to the right pub and you might not leave untill 6 or 7 in the morn. I used to live in castlebar a good few years ago but then it started to go downhill and has not stoped since.

redmosquito · 01-05-2008 2:11am

kevmy wrote: »

Ahh now I wouldn't be that hard on it. It's grand especially since it's been done up. Not saying it's Vegas or anything but it's in a damn sight better condition than a lot of nightclubs I've found myself in

It does look ok, im not saying its a kip in the sense that its run down and dirty but there is no craic there, a bad vibe off a lot of the people and some of the staff are fairly rude, its only an opinion but also the opinion of a lot of people I know from both towns!

I think its time for a change when it comes to nightlife in both Castlebar and Westport. Dont think anything is gonna happen in Cbar for the foreseable future though!

Shiminay · 02-05-2008 3:25pm

Well now, I was at home again last weekend and little has changed.

Rowlands - now closed. Had a great couple of nights there on Friday and Saturday and my thanks to Keith and the lads for all the good times over the last number of years.

The TF - jaysus, I stumbled up there on Friday with my free pass from Rowlands and a hape of Jagermeister in me (it was my birthday and Ryo behind the bar started it with depth charges) and it was just awful. There was a pair on stage playing a guitar and singing and I just felt so bad for them having to play to an empty hall. They were rather good though. Then came a dj who looked like one of the lads from Hanson and whilst he played some decent tunes, couldn't mix to save his life. I don't claim to know much about the mechanics of djing (having only stood behind a set of decks once), but c'mon! Learn your trade before working in said trade.

Didn't bother with anything else after all that - I'd had my fill of disappointment!

oscarBravo · 02-05-2008 8:24pm

You were in Mayo and didn't call me??

/scribbles Kharn off the winter solstice card list...

Shiminay · 03-05-2008 11:56am

um, pretty sure I posted it in *that sekrit place* - maybe I didn't. Forgive me oB

Bob the Builder · 03-05-2008 1:18pm

oscarBravo wrote: »

You were in Mayo and didn't call me??

/scribbles Kharn off the winter solstice card list...

U r 4rm May Yo?
I doon't believe it...

CstlbrGrl73 · 22-05-2008 7:02pm

To give my 2 cents here, when I was home in 2002, I was told by all my old friends from Castlebar to say and party in Westport cause it was a much better place to be.

I had a blast in Westport, but it would've been nice to feel out the atmosphere in Castlebar as well. Sounds like I didn't miss too much though.

witnessrenegade · 23-05-2008 7:44pm

Castlebar's pubs and clubs are given below

T.Flynns - Knacker pub, used to be The Cabin but now is full of shams, etc. Best to be avoided

Bucko's - One of the only pubs in town to has live music at least once a week, supposedly has a lovely lunch menu and a good jukebox

BarOne - Check Shirts and wrangler jeans are a must in BarOne, would be a good pub if it had a smoking area, nice lunch menu.

Mc Carthys - Now being run by the dude who ran Prendergasts. Favorite with teachers and priests, good spot for a quiet drink

Coxs - Its clientele ranges from old woman looking for a poke to young underagers drinking naggins in the bathrooms. Dj's every night but sadly most are terrible. Only late bar 7 nights a week in Castlebar so theirs always a mix of people in here

The Lounge - Every Friday, and Saturday. Basically its a late bar but your charged 8yoyos in. Same dj every night who never changes his set list. Only good craic if your fairly loaded

Mantra - 16-46 the club started off well but the bouncers dont give a ****e and so the clientele are mostly young knacks with tracksuits. Very rare to have a good night in their

The Irish House - Student pub, good pub grub, and good special offers on drinks, best avoid the pool table upstairs after hearing some of the stories of a couples having a bit of after hours action on it.

Mulroys - Good food, not as busy as it used to be as bar ritz which is above it only opens for special occasions

Moka - Ok food, bar selection of drink, too far out of town to go for a pint. Nice beer garden though

The Bungalow - Full of the working class of Castlebar, nothing but darts happening in this bar during the week

Bosh - Good food, sadly has lost a lot of its appeal when it first opened as they have relaxed their door policy's

Q.T - 14-19 year old try their best to get in on Fridays and Saturdays, badly laid out club, too far of a walk as well from the popular spots around town. Hasnt been busy since Club Mantra opened many years ago. Is undergoing refurbishment and is opening late August at the same time as the new theater

Their are a few more pubs in Castlebar but most are not my regular haunts so i cannot give an accurate description of these

The Humbert Inn R.I.P

Rowlands R.I.P

dublinmadyoke · 25-05-2008 5:31pm

I have to just say that c/bar is a kip! I hate the place. It used to be good back in the 90's but downhill since then! The town is full of piss heads that did nothing with there lives!
If someone asked me where I am from i'd say Westport!

Shiminay · 27-05-2008 4:09pm

Did anyone read the controversy this thread sparked on the Castlebar BB? Here and here. I fired in a few answers there this morning, but it seems to be pre-moderated now? No harm I suppose.

CstlbrGrl73 · 27-05-2008 4:15pm

Kharn wrote: »

Did anyone read the controversy this thread sparked on the Castlebar BB? Here and here. I fired in a few answers there this morning, but it seems to be pre-moderated now? No harm I suppose.

That's what made me come over here to see what the fuss was all about.

Ah Castlebar...

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