Athlone thread

roosterman71 wrote: »

Isn't Portlaoise one of the fastest growing town in Ireland. Surely it would be ahead of Athlone in terms of getting city status. It does lack the tourism Athlone has, and the college too though. Athlone has plenty going for it, but it certainly isn't a city

What has Portlaoise got going for it? A prison, asylum centre , a hospital (actually that would come in handy) and what? Nothing. Glorified one street town

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

The Palace needs a bit of an overhaul. I always found the white and purple décor upstairs a touch garish. The Snug and Sean's are heaving at the weekends, there's definitely a market there for The Palace to tap back into, provided they do it right.

Hard to know what will happen, but the town has been crying out for a proper late bar for the last couple of years, as it stands, The Piano Bar is the only show in town unless you want to pay into a nightclub and it's usually mobbed. I'll be glad to see The Palace back, hope they do a proper job on it. Apparently, its one of the lads from The Blizzards who has a couple of pubs in Mullingar and some guy who has a couple of spots in Dublin.

A former musician? Interesting!

It was either this thread or another that someone had considered that if they owned the Palace and try and turn it into something like Whelans. It was shot down, but the reasons for it were very valid . (1) I can't see Athlonians will not pay €20 for a band, that might or might not be rubbish (2) I never got the impression that Athlone ever had an appetite for live bands, especially guitar music, based on everyone seeming to want to ignore whatever band does play eg Seans, Snug, Piano Bar. I know the Loft use to do bands, but it was not like Athlone was ever heaving with Battle of the Band Competitions compared to Mullingar . Jesus Battys in Knockcroghery had more going for it (3) I also got the impression that certain Athlonians would be more at home with a crap techno/dance (whatever the genre) and a bag of yolks. In fact, all joking aside, If a pub tried to do the live Venue thing, there would probably do a hell of a lot better in Athlone if some of the acts were country and western and all that muck the 50+ are into ,the mammies are dying for an excuse for a night out ,lol

As for the Palace decor , well, with upstairs, the lights are off so you don't need to notice it, besides, in the last few years of its life during the first incarnation, going up stairs was tragic and you'd have want to have asked yourself what on earth are ya doing there.But ya, needs a serious renovation, nothing too fancy either. Should never have touched downstairs , it was perfect during the day and the night.

But seriously though, I noticed in Portlaoise there are two or three pubs along the main street that actually make a serious effort to bringing in music acts, comedians etc. (Obviously a charge on the door) With the connections that the Blizzards have it would be worth chancing once a month.?

Like the Piano bar but it is just way too much hassle the best of times, superior to Coppers anyway (Jesus, how do you manage to not make a free entry late night bar work, even in Athlone when times were tougher)

I wonder is Athlone big enough for more than one late night bar.? Sure the town was / is able to have two nightclubs, but are kids of today actually going to the pubs? Especially all those "Super pubs" , many around the country closed (not necessarily because the pub itself was doing bad)

I always noticed that back in the glory days of the Palace (1998-2004), it was the same faces in their, and when Reynards opened up it was the same people shifting over to there and deserting the Palace altogether and the same when the River S opened.

Be interesting though

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Yeah, I always said that the Athlone public were fickle like that insofar as during that period when you had new pubs opening up here and there, they'd be packed for about 4 months and once people got bored of them, they'd begin to trickle back to their usual spot.

The usual spots of the time being popular established places like Biddy Mulligan's, Dirty Harry's, 41's, Gertie's, The Castle, Sean's and The Palace (before it was redone in 2004, or whenever it was). Places like River S, Rayner's and to a lesser extent, The Prince, were never going to become 'locals', they were superpubs with heaps of space for people, but not much character. When the recession hit and the young ones drinking in them had to go on the dole, or leave Athlone, nobody wanted to stand in a huge, half empty pub!

Oddly enough, the River S wasn't a terrible spot, especially on a Summers Sunday night (again, same faces from the night before) The toilet doors got some rocking when the band's were playing loud though, could be messy. You'd have loved to sit on the balcony on a summers afternoon, but, bar Sunday or Paddy's Day it would be dead during the day

Reynards was classy, even down stairs it had charm (AI would consider that as a super pub. Large place) , and the pub food, when they brought it in, 2003-2004 was decent (2003-2004)


I am not entirely sure will Athlone be big enough for two late night pubs with say Palace and Piano Bar and then Karma and Bozos /whatever it is now called. Be great if I am wrong. Clubbing days (well. What passes as a club in rural Ireland) is long over and happily so.

To be fair, between the hours of 7pm to 1 (do people still go out that early anymore?) Athlone has always had a lovely selection of pubs to suit propels needs ; The Shack, Gerties (one of the best), Seerys (shh,it's popular bit I don't want it ruined lol) and then the usual suspects West of the Shannon are quality boozers.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Macey South are hugely popular and always seem to pull a big crowd. I was in Killeen's in Shannonbridge one night around Christmas and there was about 20 in the place, next thing Macey South land in to start setting up and a busload from Athlone arrives in to see them and the place is mobbed.

There might be an appetite for country music around the Athlone area, but if you put that music in a popular pub in town, you'd clear the place. Its generally an older crowd who are into that genre (around here anyway) and they'd prefer to have that in a hotel with a proper dancefloor. You'd often see Mike Denver and the like playing gigs in places like the Radisson.

I remember The Palace putting on a few gigs, they had Aslan down a couple of times and I don't remember who else, but they had the space to do that upstairs. Maybe it could be a runner again.

Bands ability to pull the crowd , based on the locals in the other town, not just busing their own Athlone groupies (that would not bother a pub owner of course €€€€) Great group by the way

I was not suggesting putting Country Music on during the weekend , god no. Nor was I suggesting young people who go out to the big pubs at the weekend would be into it.

Midweek, with the oldies having a months notice...they would fill up a place

Yes, Aslan played at the Palace a few times, mobbed etc, but it is not like the Palace kept the live scene going (proper live scene not that wedding band muck) . Once in a blue moon . Is there an appetite for it amongst the 17-35 year olds? Hence why I refer to the older crowd and Country , they can't get enough of it . Dancefloor, fair point