Putting spotlight on nightlife laws in Cork 

“The best antidote to anti-social behaviour is social behaviour,” said DJ and musician Robbie Kitt, who, alongside Give Us the Night founder Sunil Sharpe, delivered a special Where is the Night forum in the Bodega last Monday evening. The three-hour forum, co-presented by Cork’s Electronic Music Council, was a catch-up on the progress of the Give Us the Night campaign, which I’ve been writing about since it started it in 2004.

Give Us the Night is an independent volunteer group of professionals who work in the night-time hospitality industry. The group campaigns for better venues, opening hours, and conditions. They have been relentless in their advocacy of nightlife in Ireland. The Department of Justice has Cabinet approval for a reform of our antiquated licensing laws, some of which have been in place for hundreds of years.

Much was made in the media about these reforms, but we are still waiting for them to come to pass, Robbie and Sunil said.

The frustration is aggravated by the fact that some venues are struggling so much that change might come too late.

The Government has had their positive media spin by announcing change, without having to implement it, but, as always, the changes are taking too long to be enforced, they said. The recognition that the night-time industry needs reform seems widespread, however, they said, and Give us the Night deserves great credit for giving the campaign political credibility.

Sunil and Robbie talked in detail about the changing landscape of nightlife in Ireland, with particular reference to the post-pandemic years of changed habits.

We are far removed from the Celtic Tiger era of the early 2000s. Ironically, many initiatives at that time made things worse for nightlife, which was a lot more vibrant in the 1990s. I remember DJing back then and wishing that we could play an hour or two longer, but at least the clubs were full and were a separate entity to bars. The bars also did really well and many of them served as pre-parties for a club scene that was buzzing throughout the country.

In the 2000s, late bars and nightclubs became practically indistinguishable, and that watered down the club scene. The switch to the euro increased prices and the super-club era fell flat on its face. Additional laws, in 2008, made it even more difficult for late-night operators, as licences suddenly became more expensive.

We had opened the Pav at the time and I remember that trying to operate the bar late on week nights became impossible, due to these extra expenses and legal fees. Add in the fact that the world economy had pretty much crashed and you can see why many venues have closed in the last 15 or so years.

There’s been recovery in some areas, but there are far fewer venues and clubs in Ireland and elsewhere.

Those of us who DJ abroad or visit abroad will always make note of how much better other countries are for late-night entertainment, though there is no doubt that they face challenges, too. The housing crisis and lack of arts spaces and venues contribute to these issues worldwide, but, in Ireland, our laws have always been backward.

A younger generation that drinks far less is still keen to experience music communally late at night and, hopefully, the proposed changes to the relevant laws will get through very soon.

Sunil and Robbie said that their own campaign promotes responsible night-time behaviour but that later hours won’t be for every venue.

Cork’s night mayor Fiona Collins and the Safe Gigs Ireland duo of Mary and Dola were among the many who attended the event.

The initial quote stayed with me all week. We have people rioting on the streets and unrest everywhere. Young people need positive spaces where they can socialise and have fun. Dancing is good for the mind, body and soul!