Give Us The Night – Isn’t it time we got some clarity on the future of Irish clubland..?

With Dublin venues District 8 and Hangar now earmarked for closure in the coming months, and smaller venues struggling to make ends meet, clubbing in the Irish capital is at something of a crossroads.

This Wednesday, Give Us The Night, a collective led by techno DJ Sunil Sharpe, holds a public meeting in Dublin city centre to debate how we got to this point, and what Ireland’s nightclub sector needs to do to in order to not just survive, but thrive.

Promoters and club owners are encouraged to attend.

You can find details of the meeting, and sign up to attend, by clicking here

Sadly, the current situation is nothing new, and Give Us The Night has long been campaigning for Ireland’s nightclub industry to be given fair treatment from a business perspective.

Back in the mid-2000s, I wrote an article for Ray O’Connor’s Slick DJ magazine, on Ireland’s openness to the possibility of extended licensing hours for clubs – the article came on the back of the UK introducing 24-hour licensing in November 2005.

Among other things, the article showcased how the Give Us The Night campaign sought to bring the issue of early closing into the public consciousness. More than twelve years later, we are still hoping for some clarity.

The article is below, click the images to enlarge