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Post-Covid and knee-deep in a cost of living crisis, students entering the arena of Dublin nightlife are facing a whole new ball game, writes Ciarán Howley.
Remember Vipsy? Odds are, if you started college around the same time I did, in 2019, you do. What an app, what a gift. Vipsy was a fabulous platform that offered special promotions, discounts and deals at nightclubs and bars across Dublin. Sometimes it could get you free entry at a certain club before nine o’clock or even the famous one euro shots at O’Reilly’s under Tara Bridge.
Whatever it was, there was certainly an acknowledgement that many students are stretched thin when it comes to funds and that venues should make certain concessions to attract them. Freshers Week 2019 was incredible and fairly affordable.
Then the pandemic hit, and students, along with the entire population, were sequestered inside for nearly two years. Classes and societies took place entirely online as in-person lessons were sacrificed in the name of keeping the vulnerable and at risk from harm.
The sharp increase in drink spiking in Ireland has made clubbing and going out an incredibly dangerous activity, heightening the chances of sexual assault or injury for women in particular. For people of colour, a racist incident by staff at The Academy on Middle Abbey St last year lifted the lid on the discriminatory behaviour all too common at clubs.
Fast forward to the present situation: post-pandemic there’s huge demand for nightlife experiences and the price of drinks has skyrocketed. For cocktails, you’re probably paying upwards of twelve euro per cocktail and more than eight per mixed drink. Pints aren’t much better, with a Guinness tipping under seven euro on average.
Unfortunately, there is no Vipsy in Ireland anymore. The company has left, abandoning students to fend for themselves at the club, price-wise. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student working at the deli counter or an auditor at Ernst & Young - it’s a tenner into the George, take it or leave it. Laws surrounding minimum alcohol pricing are also set to leave dents in the pockets of students too.
On the 4th of January 2022, minimum alcohol unit pricing was introduced, setting a baseline at which alcohol sold in supermarkets can be sold. Accordingly, a can of beer can cost no less than €1.70, a bottle of spirits must cost at least €20.70 and a bottle of wine must be at least €7.20. While the government’s rationale about supposedly curbing addiction and protecting young people is glibly satisfactory, it couldn’t come at a worse time for students looking to save a few quid instead of paying an arm and a leg for a drink at the bar.
Every student should be allowed to go out, have fun and dance safely and affordably. The community building nature of clubbing can’t be forgotten, especially for marginalised communities in Ireland.
The sharp increase in drink spiking in Ireland has made clubbing and going out an incredibly dangerous activity, heightening the chances of sexual assault or injury for women in particular. For people of colour, a racist incident by staff at The Academy on Middle Abbey St last year lifted the lid on the discriminatory behaviour all too common at clubs.
“As someone whose main friend group consists of people of colour, there are Dublin clubs that for no valid reason at all tend to not let you in. I was going to a popular queer venue with people from dance class, about 7 of us, all coming from a dance practice so no prinks/drunk-ness, and we were turned away for being “too loud,” revealed one student who has chosen to remain anonymous.
“While we stood on the corner of the street after moving away to decide where to go next, a group of white lads all yelling and clearly drunk were let in. There’s so much of that gatekeeping from security in Dublin clubs that sometimes you don’t even know if you’ll be allowed in as a POC.”
More happy hours, promotions, offers and security measures will get students back into venues at full throttle and prevent students giving clubs wide berths in favour of Wetherspoons.
These problems pose a threat to what should be a rite of passage for students in Ireland. Every student should be allowed to go out, have fun and dance safely and affordably. It’s not just in clubs where students are having trouble. It’s also leaving them to get home, especially for those outside the city.
“Transport for getting home is really bad,” said Ross Kelly, a recent UCD graduate and writer. “This might just be the area where I’m from, but it’s really difficult to get taxis, and when you’re getting a taxi it’s usually really expensive. I don’t think it makes it accessible to students who are on a budget.”
In 2022, there were several incidents of hate-related violence on public transport, particularly towards young people. With the announcement last year that venues in Ireland would be allowed to stay open late into the night, concerns about the efficiency and safety of new twenty-four hour routes are bubbling for some students.
“Not only are 24 hour buses limited, but as we all know ghost buses love to ghost particularly at 3am / when club nights end, and worse even if they do come, they’re full and skip your stop,” says Law-Politics student and dance instructor Aiesha Wong.
“I personally walk 2-3 stops before my own one because the chances of getting a bus at temple bar vs Eden Quay to the northside is way higher. There’s also trains too but I find at night time they feel particularly dangerous. I do see a lot of young men roaming around in balaclavas and bringing their bikes onto the train which isn’t inherently bad but it’s the fact they’re in big groups and there’s no actual security to make others feel safe that’s such a huge issue.”
So what now? Student Unions and organisations need to step up and create affordable and secure alternatives, as much as reasonably possible. For traditional night clubs, there needs to be genuine efforts and improved protocols to make sure everyone feels welcome while ensuring the dancefloor is a safe and affordable environment. And if clubs are to remain open past three, we need adequate and secure transport for the students that vinters are hoping will flood the dancefloors.