The Brog Closing?

Cool_CM

Saw an update on Facebook earlier on the Brog's page saying that they are closing down after the Jazz Weekend.

Apparently the place is being completely refurbished and reinvented as an upmarket cocktail/tapas bar.

The systematic destruction and cleansing of Cork's dive bars continues...

(Am in work at the moment so will post link later)

Mr.Prodston

I'm absolutely disgusted by this and there are a lot of unhappy people evidenced by the response on Facebook.

hufpc8w3adnk65

I can confirm the place has already begun extensive renovations and will be allot more "up market " when finished.. Think a cross between sober lane & Long Island

Milly33

Oh no what a shame haven't been there in years but twas the last of the nicer cozy pubs left. Uck facelift I hope they don't go overboard

Faith

Jaysus :eek:

Bad news folks. Been told today that An Bróg is closing permanently after the Jazz Weekend. Its being renovated completely in November, new name, music policy etc. There was talk of fancy cocktail menus and tapas menus too and other upmarkety type stuff. Cant remember much else, it was all a blur after I heard we're closing. Sorry about this folks. Bit of a shock to say the least, really didnt think it was gonna come to this

I haven't been there in years because it attracts such a young crowd, but fúck I'm sad to hear that. I had some brilliant times there up until a few years back. I even met the love of my life there!

It was always going to be on the cards after Ernest Cantillon took it over, but I didn't think it would close entirely.

Mr.Prodston

http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/1101/business/ernest-endeavours-212576.html

They’ll then turn attention to the highly popular ground-floor Bróg complex, keeping the name and the feel, and will start a food business (likely to be Mexican) in the premises as well, given its proximity to the English Market.

I'm so annoyed, if they were to do anything it would restore it to what it was rather than what it became in the last 2 years. It's so different to anything else in town and is always very busy. It just feels like the rug has been given a sharp tug

usersame

Gutted but I have faith in the gentleman involved

An Bróg isn't now what it used to be

Fox_In_Socks

Never quite "got" the attraction to it from people that I know.

Gbear

It's a student bar with **** pints.
I've had tremendous craic there but tapas sounds interesting.

Although presumably "up market" means "expensive".

Danger781

I used to love the Bróg but in the past year or two it has gone completely downhill..

- There is always an odd smell in there every time I go in there. It always feel unclean or damp or something.
- I've never gotten a nice pint in there. Ever.
- After 11pm the price of pints goes past a fiver. Utter madness that is.
- One of the bouncers at the door is a dick. But on the plus side they have Steve!

who_me

Yeah, used to love the (smaller) Brog from my student days. I don't think the smell is new! I think the smoking ban just uncovered a lot of previously masked smells. It's a pity it's going as it offered a bit of variety to the norm.

Danger781

who_me wrote: »

Yeah, used to love the (smaller) Brog from my student days. I don't think the smell is new! I think the smoking ban just uncovered a lot of previously masked smells. It's a pity it's going as it offered a bit of variety to the norm.

BDSM offers variety from the norm.

Faith

Danger781 wrote: »

BDSM offers variety from the norm.

BDSM is tiny, in fairness.

Lia_lia

When I was heard this I was like "Ha! Don't care. Hate the place."

But in fairness I've probably been on more enjoyable nights out in the Brog than any other pub in Cork. Used to absolutely love the place in my first few years of college, but then I think I just grew up a bit..

Why on Earth are they changing it into an "upmarket" tapas style bar? I can pretty much guarantee they'll make less money. There are enough upmarkety places in Cork. And where will all the (non Reardons/Havanas crowd) students go now? Hrmm.

hoodwinked

MrMac84 wrote: »

and will be allot more "up market " when finished.. Think a cross between sober lane & Long Island

sober lane isn't up market! :pac:

Lia_lia wrote: »

Why on Earth are they changing it into an "upmarket" tapas style bar? I can pretty much guarantee they'll make less money. There are enough upmarkety places in Cork. And where will all the (non Reardons/Havanas crowd) students go now? Hrmm.

i reckon they are changing it to suit the crowds going upstairs to voodoo rooms, similar to havana's/reardons had before when they used be over 23's...

realistically lately how many from the brog were old enough (or dressed appropriately) to go upstairs to voodoo?
and considering the success of voodoo rooms,(and the sugar cube, and electric) it makes sense to add a pre club bar to cater to that crowd,


i had so many great nights in there of course i will be sad to see it go, but i got old, and dark pubs with cheap sloppy pints and bad smells full of 18 year olds just annoy me now *grabs and shakes walking stick*

Mr.Prodston

hoodwinked wrote: »

i reckon they are changing it to suit the crowds going upstairs to voodoo rooms, similar to havana's/reardons had before when they used be over 23's...

realistically lately how many from the brog were old enough (or dressed appropriately) to go upstairs to voodoo?
and considering the success of voodoo rooms,(and the sugar cube, and electric) it makes sense to add a pre club bar to cater to that crowd,


i had so many great nights in there of course i will be sad to see it go, but i got old, and dark pubs with cheap sloppy pints and bad smells full of 18 year olds just annoy me now *grabs and shakes walking stick*

It makes some bit of sense from a corporate point of view, of course it does when you put it like that. However the people who've been going to the brog for the last number of years are surely a future target market which they'd like to encourage inside once they graduate and start working. Fat chance of many of them ever going in on principle alone.

I've probably outgrown the place but that's more to do with how the place has regressed in the past 2 years more than anything else. I've only been there twice in 2013 but that's more to do with me not being out in Cork.

By all means they could upgrade the bar and make it a little more comfortable but I think it's down right disrespectful to all the customers that kept coming down the years for such a dramatic shift in emphasis. For many, well for me at the very least the place is ingrained as part of Cork's heritage.

The thought of ever eating tapas with classy decor and music in the background makes me laugh at how absurd it is.

I'm clearly very annoyed by this and just disheartened in general. On the flip side the outpouring of support can't help but make me smile.

ofcork

Most people going to voodoo are coming from the likes of soho/long island and electric so obviously the owners want to capture some of this business,one time they had bar rumba/mollies where the crowd would head to kaos/gorbys after.They don't have a feeder bar now as such I believe ernest cantillon is a partner in the whole venture.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Yes Ernest, Don Forde, Neil Cronin & Niall Kearney are the owners of the complex and it's general manager then is Phil the old Sober Lane manager

ofcork

Spot on don and neil have been there from day one I think niall got involved later in the ownership side.

Ardennes1944

Worst. Pints. Ever.

hufpc8w3adnk65

ofcork wrote: »

Spot on don and neil have been there from day one I think niall got involved later in the ownership side.

Yes Niall only has a small share in the place compared too the rest. Likewise Dons 2 sons both have a say in the running of the place without been actual owners

cantdecide

It'll be like the 'super-pub' phenomenon of the boom. We're not all dead classy like.

smurgen

Faith wrote: »

BDSM is tiny, in fairness.

bdsm is full of alternative, try hard posers.the brog was just full of easy going alternative folk,very laid back. stevie wong and john on the door are sound lads too. cant stand the fella with the curly hair Earnest put running the place.Here's hoping they don't ruin the place as its one of a few late bars in the city.

smurgen

ofcork wrote: »

Most people going to voodoo are coming from the likes of soho/long island and electric so obviously the owners want to capture some of this business,one time they had bar rumba/mollies where the crowd would head to kaos/gorbys after.They don't have a feeder bar now as such I believe ernest cantillon is a partner in the whole venture.

a feeder bar?most people are lucky to be able to afford to go to the club, never mind the pub before the club. people will rather drink at home for the most part before a club unless bar owners pull back the cost of their pints drastically.

AugustusMinimus

Who remembers when the Bróg was a lot smaller and the side bar was a completely different bar called "The Hairy Lemon" ?

brevity

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Who remembers when the Bróg was a lot smaller and the side bar was a completely different bar called "The Hairy Lemon" ?

I do! Had just started a course in Stiofain Noafa and a bunch of people said they were going to the hairy lemon. Fresh up from Kerry, so I was. I probably cycled in the link as well.

Good spot though.

minidazzler

It's going from something unique and original in Cork, to another Bar by numbers. Yay. Let's celebrate.

In the last 2 years the place has diverged greatly from what it once was though, with the price of pints skyrocketing (it was know for being cheap and easy after all) and the decor getting too much of a clean up, the lights turned up too bright.

I was a dive in the classical sense without ever trying to be. And it was loved. While I love cocktails and cocktail bars, I won't be going to the new one on principal, which I know is a bit sad, but An Brog holds so many great memories for me, I'm not letting a bright gaudy monstrosity ruin it. Though, I'd guess their cocktails are gonna be mostly tiki with only the barest of fresh fruit used.

At least we still have Benny creating original bars each time.

shadowcomplex

Is the quad still open ?

minidazzler

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Is the quad still open ?

The Quad is now The Slate, it's similar to the brog of old, but too different to be a good replacement.

Knifey Spoony

minidazzler wrote: »

The Quad is now The Slate, it's similar to the brog of old, but too different to be a good replacement.

The Quad isn't the Slate. They were two separate bars and I think that where the Quad was is now part of The Bowery, although I have never been in there.

But, with the Quad gone and now the Brog going, there isn't much of a choice of bars that put on gigs and would draw a slightly alternative crowd.

murphym7

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Who remembers when the Bróg was a lot smaller and the side bar was a completely different bar called "The Hairy Lemon" ?

I used to go to the Cranog a lot back in the day, that was a great bar.