Drinks are too expensive and nobody is dancing anymore. Christina Murphy explores why Irish nightlife is facing a steady decline
Irish nightlife needs to be put on life support. The drinks are too expensive, the clubs won't let people in, and even when they do, people aren’t even dancing. Ireland, a tourist hotspot known for its famous pubs and drinking culture, is facing a nightlife epidemic as the cost of going out continues to rise day by day.
From Wetherspoons to Temple Bar, the price of a pint can range between €4.50 and nearly €12. The backlash that these “double digit pints” have received amongst Dublin locals is a cause of worry, as the rest of the country slowly hikes pint prices too. Right now, the average pint will cost you around €7. This is broken down into government tax, supplier cost, staff wages, pub overheads, and publican net profit. The steep price you’re paying for a pint seems maddening, but it's also the cost to keep these pubs open. As the owners are being run dry by operating costs, the consumers are taking the brunt of the blow.
However, these prices cannot sustain Irish nightlife, especially amongst students who generally work part time for minimum wage. With other expenses including rent, food, and the cost-of-living also on the incline across the country, it is becoming practically impossible to have a financially responsible night out. This rings especially true when you consider other costs such as transport, club entry, and a takeaway after a night of dancing and drinking.
On top of this, pubs and nightclubs across Dublin have been turning away customers on occasion when they present their Garda Age Card as a form of ID. While the National Age Card is legally seen as a proof-of-age, it is not a general identity card. The card does not contain the rigid security infrastructure or chip integration as a passport or driving licence. With the risk of accidentally finding themselves in legal trouble, venues are turning away customers and excluding young adults from Dublin nightlife.
Due to public health policies, Ireland currently ranks as one of the most expensive countries for alcohol and tobacco in the EU. The government utilises high taxes as disincentives from alcohol and tobacco consumption, in order to reduce poor health and illness, and decrease pressure on Ireland’s public health system. In the process, the increased cost deters students and young adults from participating in the drinking and nightlife culture that was once much more prominent.
So with an increase in cost, and a lack of government accommodations for local pubs and nightclubs, Dublin’s nightlife has adapted, resulting in an uptake in raves and house parties. House parties seem like the obvious choice for students looking to party on a budget. With the common “bring your own booze” rule, it's expected that all guests will help fuel both food and drink for the night. This allows for a night without the overpriced drinks, the worry of being rejected from clubs, or even the safety concerns when going out drinking late at night.
Raves are also rising in popularity as they encompass so much of what is becoming central to younger generations’ culture: sustainable fashion, a safer community, and the prioritisation of the feeling from the event above all else. These dance parties with electronic music and electric light shows provide a stimulative environment that actually gets people moving, compared to what the regular clubbing experience has turned into.
However, raves may be experiencing a similar fate to clubs in the near future. The electronic music scene has begun to stray from being an underground, physical release, and instead become a subject of analysis, where many people are now more concerned with critiquing its culture online than participating in it. Online discourse has become more concerned with scrutinising these micro-genres than actually experiencing them.
People don't want to dance anymore. Instead, when going to a club, everyone appears too concerned with complaining about the music and the price of drinks to actually get down on the dance floor. Time will tell whether clubbing will become the next dying artform. As the next college year approaches, we can only hope for a drastic change.