Stag party during jazz festival

Dick Turnip

Hi,

Looking for some advice. I've to organise my friend's stag and the preferred destination seems to be Cork and the preferred weekend seems to be October bank holiday weekend.

Now it's not for the jazz festival really per se, more so that none of us have ever really been out in Cork and that weekend is the most suitable anyway. Just wondering what way would it work during the festival?

Do pubs that are usually free in charge entry or require tickets during the festival? Or are there any marquee gigs or anything like that?

Basically, I haven't been in Cork since I was a kid so have no clue of the city and most lads on the stag don't either really so looking for some help.

Assuming we can get accommodation sorted for 15-20 lads, do you think we'd be able to sort some bars/venues that we'd get in to come Friday and Saturday night?

Would like to check out the Franciscan Well pub maybe the Friday evening before moving on somewhere else. Then the Saturday go go-karting in the morning/early afternoon before finding a bar to watch rugby semi final at 4pm before dinner somewhere else and then on to a late bar maybe.

So the kind Corkonians of boards, a few main recommendations

- accommodation suggestions for a group of 15-20
- somewhere to go on the Friday night w/ late opening
- good bar to watch rugby match on the Saturday
- somewhere good to go on the Saturday night
- also how does the jazz festival work, are there just gigs in all the bars or more so some big gigs in some marquees?

Any/all info and advice much appreciated!

gimmick

Well accommodation will be very expensive that weekend anyway. But best look at Jurys Inn I suppose.

Pretty much every pub will have an extension until 2am that weekend, so no need to go into specifics.

Thereis a "pub trail" that weekend, where lots of pubs will have gigs on. vast majority will be free. There are obviously some paid gigs as well in the Opera House, Metropole, Everyman etc etc etc.

darkdubh

If youve no interest in the Jazz festival why don't you decide on another location with all due respect?For those of us who are genuinely interested in seeing live music theres nothing worse than having it ruined by large groups of people going on pub crawls making loads of noise and taking up all the seating while paying no attention to the music.

2smiggy

you won't see much jazz down Oliver Plunkett for example, but it will be very busy. A good weekend for it if you can get accommodation at a reasonable price

hufpc8w3adnk65

For hotels jury's western road,imperial hotel jury's in town, Monteotte hotel, river lee hotel, all are very close too town for the Friday (depending on the time ye get down) it might be wise too book soho or riordans for a table and a few platters of food as both stay open late and can be hard too get into when busy in large groups,

On the sat there's outdoor go karting in water grass hill or indoor in little island, both are a bit of a spin outside the city,

For the rugby The Thomond will be a good spot but isn't a late bar I don't think but does great food

As for night clubs if ye wanted too try and reserve a spot your looking at voodoo rooms (close too soho) Havana Browns (upstairs from reardons) the Bowery aswell on tuckey street!

When in Cork try too get too Jackie Lennoxs chip shop Bandon road and john graces on Oliver plunket street for take away foods!

Balmed Out

Contact hostels straight away and see if theres enough availability to block book dorms. Id recommend Bru simply for its location.
Make sure to get tickets for the metropole for one night.

on activities

If ye coming from somewhere in Ireland and driving down or hiring a bus then go to Garretstown, inchadoney or inch for surf lessons is a great laugh, highly recomended.
garretstown
http://www.surfgtown.com/
inchadoney
http://www.westcorksurfing.com/
inch
www.swellsurfschool.ie

Inchadoney is slightly further but far nicer setting. Lunch / dinner /drink in Kinsale or Clonakilty after. Swell in inch do coasteering etc which is supposed to be a laugh if no waves.

water skiing
http://www.waterskiireland.com/tow_rates.html

Colloseum on Mcacurtain street for pool / bowling etc.

http://www.kinsaleoutdoors.com/index.php

They transport you to lots of different activities.
http://www.butlers-buses.com/cork-li...activities.htm

wall climbing
http://www.mardykearena.com/climbingwall.cfm

Could always look into a soccer, gaa or rugby match too.

Sea safari and harbour tours, never done myself though.

Theres a good few paint balling options too, http://www.eastcorkadventurecentre.ie/contact.html

wouldnt be too far off from the swell surf school if ye wanted both. similarly i think theirs a place in kilbrittain between inchadoney and garretstown.

maybe check out this site before ye go http://www.whazon.com/

keithclancy

Don't try to book as a group, get everyone to book separately and don't all turn up together, same goes for getting into Clubs.

A lot of hotels/hostels just don't want the hassle of a stag party.

For your Friday Night out with late opening I'd say BDSM or The Crane Lane.

For the Rugby the Woolshed would be a good spot, also SOHO should be showing it as well.

On the Jazz side of things I can't help you on it ... but any of the bars should be ok for it, just wanted around the City, it's pretty small so you can just go from place to place and see what you prefer.

mordeith

keithclancy wrote: »

Don't try to book as a group, get everyone to book separately and don't all turn up together, same goes for getting into Clubs.

A lot of hotels/hostels just don't want the hassle of a stag party.

For your Friday Night out with late opening I'd say BDSM or The Crane Lane.

For the Rugby the Woolshed would be a good spot, also SOHO should be showing it as well.

On the Jazz side of things I can't help you on it ... but any of the bars should be ok for it, just wanted around the City, it's pretty small so you can just go from place to place and see what you prefer.

Given the fact that BDSM wouldn't leave four of us one night for no reason I'd forget that one.

Corholio

darkdubh wrote: »

If youve no interest in the Jazz festival why don't you decide on another location with all due respect?For those of us who are genuinely interested in seeing live music theres nothing worse than having it ruined by large groups of people going on pub crawls making loads of noise and taking up all the seating while paying no attention to the music.

In fairness most people out that weekend won't have the music as their main interest, the way it's always been. Your point is valid of course but you'd have to say it to 70% of the people out that weekend.

pwurple

I think that's a great weekend to come to cork. Pubs will be hopping, great atmosphere around. Bar extensions everywhere, you won't even need to find a club.

I wouldn't bother with the main jazz venues like the metropole, go to the free spots. You're not even into jazz sure.

If you are looking for stuff to do, there's a fab company that does boats from pub to pub around the harbour. http://www.whaleofatime.ie/ They do stag and hen parties, all set up for it. Can pickup and drop right in the city center.

.red.

If it was me id avoid cork city for a stag.
Our bouncers are notorious d!cks when it comes to letting groups in. Even if you go to the door in groups of 4/5 it only takes one lad to look sideways and they will stop him meaning the other groups need to come back out. It might be a bit better for the jazz weekend tho.
If you do want to come to cork tho the dog track would be a good night out. You can book a sit down meal and the food is very good. They will come to your table for drinks and bets so no need to leave. They will have a late bar and jazz playing after the races. You can also book a stag package where you can have your own private room overlooking the track.

Ralf and Florian

So what has Mr Turnip to say about all that then?

Dick Turnip

Thanks for all the replies people.

darkdubh - the reason we were thinking Cork then was because the stag is going to be on that weekend regardless and the groom fancied going somewhere the majority of the group wouldn't be familiar with and Cork seemed like the obvious choice. I get your point but as another poster pointed out I think the great majority of people in Cork attending the festival are not there for the music per se. Also, and that is why I'm posting here, I don't have a clue of how the festival works. So that's why I was wondering how it works re gigs. I would have thought that gigs relating to the festival are only in a certain few bars and venues? After that then it seems that most bars will have extensions that weekend with live music too but not necessarily official festival gigs?

Anyway, if the stag party was smaller (closer to 10) then would still be keen but from what's been said here and from reading other places online it seems it mightn't be the best place for a group of 20+ lads to go out in and then also another major factor is that hotel accommodation is probably going to be crazy expensive for the weekend that's in it. Still tempted as I'd imagine there would be a great buzz around the city that weekend.

Pablo Escobar

If say just do it. It's a great weekend every year. It gets very busy but there's a great atmosphere.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Just bare in mind for the price of the hotel and bus too cork etc you'd prob get a weekend in Malaga cheaper. We've been there a few times and a flight and hotel costs around 250 per person max for 3 nights. Then you save a fortune as the beers is only €1.50-3:00 per pint

pwurple

Dick Turnip wrote: »

Still tempted as I'd imagine there would be a great buzz around the city that weekend.

You're dead right in all you are saying there. There is a good buzz around the city, there will be street entertainment and loads of people dancing and in great form.

Just break your 20+ group into a bunch of smaller groups of 5 if you have any problem getting in places, but honestly I don't see pubs refusing ye unless you are very messy, and you won't even need a club, as all the pubs will have extensions. Head to Crane Lane complex. It's a massive bunch of bars joined with a central courtyard. lots of options in there from old man style pub to chemist-styled wine&food bar *arthur maynes* to regular pub, with late night venue. You might be able to book an area off (I say might, could be tricky jazz weekend, but try it! The guys are very accommodating in there). There's be food, music, loads of craic. http://www.cranelanetheatre.ie/the-grand-tour/

whisky_galore

Crane Lane is good, a bit TOO good, hard to struggle through it betimes.

Pity the Gods at Diageo decree that non-Diageo products are not to be served during the Jazz. Found the other beer pulls covered up there last year.

the beer revolu

whisky_galore wrote: »

Crane Lane is good, a bit TOO good, hard to struggle through it betimes.

Pity the Gods at Diageo decree that non-Diageo products are not to be served during the Jazz. Found the other beer pulls covered up there last year.

Blame the pub gods who happily take the free kegs and free entertainment.