What goes on in Carlton?

segaBOY

I'm fairly new to Dublin and I was wondering what happens in that Carlton place on O'Connell's Street at night? There's always non-nationals going in and out of the place and you have to ring a bell and confront a bouncer to get in...anyone have any ideas? Just curious

Nevyn

It used to be a cinema.

segaBOY

Thaedydal wrote:

It used to be a cinema.

Yeah there's issues surrounding planning there-the Carlton group want to build a shopping centre to replace the old cinema but planning issues have arosen-apparently not many retailers are actually willing to set up shop on O' Connell's st.

U don't know what goes on there now though?

DonkeyStyle \o/

It's where the immigrants collect their free cars and houses.
Shhh.

shane86

Its the side door into Quirkeys isnt it (gambling place). Its a casino essentially, except its full of chinese lads and junkies rather than well dressed suits (I was in once, amount of money it makes must be unreal)

irlirishkev

There have been talks about what to do with this site for a long time.

http://www.irish-architecture.com/news/2005/000053.html

It's an eyesore, and should be redeveloped IMO. That whole section of about 2 or 3 buildings on O'Connell Street need fixing up.

Cathmandooo

I'd bet a lot more goes on in there than we know about, yes I do believe it's a way into Dr. Quirkes but its a huge building, the arcade place aint that big!!! Now you've got me wondering!!

segaBOY

Cathooo wrote:

I'd bet a lot more goes on in there than we know about, yes I do believe it's a way into Dr. Quirkes but its a huge building, the arcade place aint that big!!! Now you've got me wondering!!

Some of the guys only go in for like a few minutes and walk back out again-way too many people with shopping bags and the like coming in and out for it to be a casino-as far as I can tell there's never any Irish there...we allowed in?

tampopo

Cathooo wrote:

yes I do believe it's a way into Dr. Quirkes but its a huge building, the arcade place aint that big!!!

I suppose it depends on your opinion, but the arcade is quite big. If you go in and to the right at the back it opens up into a HUGE pool hall, dozens and dozens of tables, not 1 white face when I went in a couple of years ago ('part from me own)

could be another way to directly access the pool hall without going past all the dance/pressure pad machines/motorbike ridin' machines etc etc.

segaBOY

Personally I think the place just makes O' Connell's St. look run down-I've seen a fight outside there before, this big eastern european fella against an asian lad...don't feel all that safe at 11 at night when I'm waiting for the bus up by there

come to think of it when I was in london, myself and a couple of lads from home went into a pool hall-didn't realise it until we sat down but we were the only white faces in the crowd-irish or english, just a sign of the times I guess

In my opinion it can't just be a pool hall tho-like there's always a stream of couples and individuals going in and out there with personal items-normally shopping bags, and, I have seen a few guys just go in there for like 5 mins, as if they are meeting someone about something

Time Magazine

Mods have their Coke and Hookers initiation party in there.

segaBOY

irlirishkev wrote:

There have been talks about what to do with this site for a long time.

http://www.irish-architecture.com/news/2005/000053.html

It's an eyesore, and should be redeveloped IMO. That whole section of about 2 or 3 buildings on O'Connell Street need fixing up.

That's unbelievable-it's one thing letting the National Roads Authority giving a Compulsory Purchase Order to build a main road but the Council giving a CPO to someone on O' Connells st.? That's just taking the piss, they may as well buy what they want so-just as long as it's a CPO they manage to make of it

Victor

Its an internet cafe and a hair dressers.

The bouncer is probably there to keep the drunks out.

segaBOY

Doubt it's a hairdressers at 11 at night!!! No way is there that many people going in and out of a net cafe at that hour of the night!!!

snappieT

I have heard (from a reasonable source) that they want to create a street down from O'Connell to Moore, with shops all along, with the hope of revitalising Moore Street.

segaBOY

snappieT wrote:

I have heard (from a reasonable source) that they want to create a street down from O'Connell to Moore, with shops all along, with the hope of revitalising Moore Street.

Hmmm interesting, something really does need to be done about moore st-I like the market but it's a bit run down imo, like i'd hate to see the fish mongers etc. go but the place should be done up

Btw I had a look at Carlton der when I was passing-i'm actually referring to the door to the right of Slatery's camera shop-not the the one nearest to Dr. Quirkey's, the door i'm on about is rarely open and you have to ring a bell to get the bouncer to open it

wyndham

It's to let people in and out of the casino part of Quirkeys after the main part has closed. The casino (machines only) is open later, til 2 or something I think. It's a $hithole. Anyone can go in there by just walking into the main door of quirkeys and turn right.

tampopo

segaBOY wrote:

Hmmm interesting, something really does need to be done about moore st-I like the market but it's a bit run down imo, like i'd hate to see the fish mongers etc. go but the place should be done up

DCC is not issuing any more or renewing existing fish monger licences, so when the old biddies die off, they die off and there'll be no more fish sellin' on that street. It was on Nationwide or Capital D or something, last year. They interviewed one oulwan who wanted the option of bequeathing her licence to someone younger in her family, keeping up a long family tradition etc, but was not being allowed to. It'll be graftonstreetised.

snappieT

tampopo wrote:

DCC is not issuing any more or renewing existing fish monger licences, so when the old biddies die off, they die off and there'll be no more fish sellin' on that street. It was on Nationwide or Capital D or something, last year. They interviewed one oulwan who wanted the option of bequeathing her licence to someone younger in her family, keeping up a long family tradition etc, but was not being allowed to. It'll be graftonstreetised.

Thank god.
Are they stopping the "get your cheap fred perry knockoff jumpers" people too?

dudara

The north end of O'Connell street is a disgrace, with all those horrible casinos, arcades, tacky shops and so on. O'Connell Street is a really elegant street, especially now, but the existence of those shops just ruins it.

DonkeyStyle \o/

dudara wrote:

The north end of O'Connell street is a disgrace, with all those horrible casinos, arcades, tacky shops and so on. O'Connell Street is a really elegant street, especially now, but the existence of those shops just ruins it.

Mmm yeah... though it was worse a few years ago when the Carlton was host to "the bag shop"... offending the eyes with lots of gaudy luggage out front.
Still though, I like the Savoy, Clearys and the Gresham... the rest they could get rid of.
And Burger King having two premises on O'Connell St. takes the absolute piss IMO.

January

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Mmm yeah... though it was worse a few years ago when the Carlton was host to "the bag shop"... offending the eyes with lots of gaudy luggage out front.
Still though, I like the Savoy, Clearys and the Gresham... the rest they could get rid of.
And Burger King having two premises on O'Connell St. takes the absolute piss IMO.

McDonalds has two premises on O'Connell St. also.

DonkeyStyle \o/

adrieanne__x wrote:

McDonalds has two premises on O'Connell St. also.

Oh yeah! :eek:
Then there's SuperMacs and Abrakebabra... any more fast food joints on O'Connell St?

spurious

There is no really high end food place on O'Connell Street - the closest would be the fantastic Chapter One on Parnell Square.

The Spar/Londis/Centra over-priced hell-holes don't help either.

snappieT

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Oh yeah! :eek:
Then there's SuperMacs and Abrakebabra... any more fast food joints on O'Connell St?

Eddie Rockets...
And that delicious donut shop next to the Bank of Ireland, if that counts.

xebec

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Oh yeah! :eek:
Then there's SuperMacs and Abrakebabra... any more fast food joints on O'Connell St?

And don't forget Burger King and Beshoff's.

January

There's also one beside the Savoy, like a kind of pizza place and there's a Chinese restaurant over Burger King and Peter Marks too.

segaBOY

snappieT wrote:

Thank god.
Are they stopping the "get your cheap fred perry knockoff jumpers" people too?

Do you really want Dublin to just be one big Crafton Street? Shops owned by one big company only? Fair enough about the guy selling the knock off gear but the food sellers should stay...mind you their hygiene doesn't seem the greatest tho

So what actually goes on in that big building called Carlton? have we settled that it's one big Casino or is it something else? If you look at the blue wooden double doors to the left of that camera shop it def isn't a side entrance into Dr. Quirkeys

JoeSchmoe

snappieT wrote:

I have heard (from a reasonable source) that they want to create a street down from O'Connell to Moore, with shops all along, with the hope of revitalising Moore Street.

Revitalise it!! it's one of the most vital streets in the town, constantly packed, one of the only "real" streets in the city too, full of life and small independent retailer selling all manner of wierd and wonderful stuff, sure some of the building could be with some renovating, but what do you want to see on it? A couple of centra's, maybe an o briens, the odd spar, a phone shop or two, maybe some british chain stores, top shop and a H and M? make it like every other street in town. I know it's not the most pleasant of street but please leave us with something of the way we were.

Mellor

JoeSchmoe wrote:

Revitalise it!! it's one of the most vital streets in the town, constantly packed, one of the only "real" streets in the city too, full of life and small independent retailer selling all manner of wierd and wonderful stuff, sure some of the building could be with some renovating, but what do you want to see on it? A couple of centra's, maybe an o briens, the odd spar, a phone shop or two, maybe some british chain stores, top shop and a H and M? make it like every other street in town. I know it's not the most pleasant of street but please leave us with something of the way we were.

to be honest, remove the butchers shops and the international phone card shops and there isnt much left

irlirishkev

That whole area around Moore St. and the Ilac, used to be temple bar like maze of streets, with markets and small shops. When the area was redeveloped years ago, the streets were replanned. A lot of the women you see in the markets on Moore St are part of, or descendants of traders in that small community.

(At least that's what I was told!)

It'd be a shame to see the traders go, as they're a real part of true Dublin. But there is a strong need for the area to be cleaned up. They've done a good job so far with O'Connell Street, Henry Street etc.. but there's more to be done!