The White House Pub Closes

bigpink

Sad to see a lovely Limerick pub close
Some great music in there
Bought by a Munster rugby player so thats it ruined

moleyv

Yeah, if only it was a Leinster player, they have more taste...

Cookiemunster

bigpink wrote: »

Sad to see a lovely Limerick pub close
Some great music in there
Bought by a Munster rugby player so thats it ruined

It was losing money hand over fist. It may have been a nice pub, but having no TV and pandering to the arty crowd is not a good business model.

bigpink

I only went in for the music or withvisitors.Mother Macs seem to be doing well
Hopfully they dont ruin it but doubt a rugby player will have the passion

stefanovich

Yeah, they tend to be skint!

Exeggcute

Poems don't pay the bills.

bigpink

Poetry was one night a week i think

Insect Overlord

bigpink wrote: »

Poetry was one night a week i think

Open mic music one night a week too.

bigpink

An File wrote: »

Open mic music one night a week too.

Yeah that was a good night

squonk

In fairness, there's a real gap in the market for rugby/sports bars in the city. It's just what's needed :P

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It was losing money hand over fist. It may have been a nice pub, but having no TV and pandering to the arty crowd is not a good business model.

It's not a given that a pub must have a tv in order to survive. Tom Collins does well, and Micke Martin's does too (although it does have a small tv near the bar).

Now that I think of it, pretty much all the pubs I go to have no tv or only a small one discreetly tucked into a corner such that it doesn't draw everybody's attention to it unless they absolutely want to be watching it.

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

It's not a given that a pub must have a tv in order to survive. Tom Collins does well, and Micke Martin's does too (although it does have a small tv near the bar).

Mickey Martins has 2 TVs and will show football/rugby when it's on. It also has DJs at the weekend. It aims for and attracts a completely different clientele.

Cookiemunster

squonk wrote: »

In fairness, there's a real gap in the market for rugby/sports bars in the city. It's just what's needed :P

Actually, there are plenty of pubs that show sport, but there is no actual dedicated sports bar in Limerick. Not that I think the White House would be a good location for one.

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Mickey Martins has 2 TVs and will show football/rugby when it's on. It also has DJs at the weekend. It aims for and attracts a completely different clientele.

It has a pull down projector screen which it very seldom uses, save for the big international match or Munster match. The other screen faces towards the bar and is out of view unless you're actually at the bar.

bennyl10

The White House was losing money.. Yes it has a place in people's hearts and yada yada yada, but it's a business at the end of the day and the new owners want to make a profit..

The White House had a snobby enough crowd if you didn't quite fit what they wanted or thought belonged.. Lovely pub set up wise, but for that reason maybe the change is a good thing..

Poetry will find a new home in the city, in profitable bars(I've actually seen reports that the White House may hold on to it once a week) while open mic can be found in other places also, the old quarter for one.

The building is protected, so has its keep same look, at least externally, and with development there is potential in the White House for 2 different pubs(using the former Thai restaurant) so all people may be appeased!!

Personally I'd prefer to see a business change and stay open, then stick to 'tradition' make a loss and shut!

A sports bar might not be everyone's cup of tea, fine, but it'll sure as hell make profit, especially ran by A Munster player in the city..

The poets will have a new home, or may even get a night a week there, and a bar will be a success.. Win win!!

panda100

bennyl10 wrote: »

The White House had a snob be enough crowd it you didn't quite for what they wanted or thought belonged.. Lovely pub set up wise, but for that reason maybe the change is a good thing.

I personally never found the White House to be snobby at all. There was always a great mix of young, old, and people from all walks of life.

I'm sad to see it close but it has been deteriorating over the last few years. When I was younger I religiously went to the poetry nights but they have been poorly attended and not as vibrant in recent years. The White House was always my favourite pub for first dates as was dark and quiet, and I never bumped into anyone I knew in there. Going to have to find a new pub now!

zulutango

bennyl10 wrote: »

The building is protected, so has its keep same look, at least externally, and with development there is potential in the White House for 2 different pubs(using the former Thai restaurant) so all people may be appeased!!

Personally I'd prefer to see a business change and stay open, then stick to 'tradition' make a loss and shut!

The interior is protected too. It's not that there can't be changes but they have to be managed carefully and I think a conservation architect must be employed. I hope the new owner realises the true value of the pub and does his best to maintain what is great about it.

squonk

I liked the pub but the poetry put me off. I'd prefer a session myself.

I won't be setting foot in again if it becomes a sports bar. There's nothing sadder than hearing a match commentary blaring through a pub. Invariably there's a bunch of large screens as well with said match front and center. I've no interest in sport and if I go for a pint I want to relax and have a chat. Sports bars aren't the places for that.

Has the Thai restaurant next door closed? If so it's a shame. It was a nice restaurant.

Insect Overlord

I loved the poetry nights (even though I only ever went to them once or twice a year). They did an amazing job keeping a tradition going every week for so many years. There's a load of poets around Limerick now who would never have shared a word if it hadn't been for the opportunity given them by the White House Poetry Revival. They welcomed me in when I was only 19 or 20 and gave me a chance to have a poem published for the first time. Anyone willing to have a go and take part from time to time should have got on fine in there on a Wednesday night.

They're after moving to Tom & Jerry's on Glentworth Street for the time being anyway. It'll be interesting to see if it puts down roots there as well, or if it will ultimately settle somewhere else.

panda100

An File wrote: »

They welcomed me in when I was only 19 or 20 and gave me a chance to have a poem published for the first time. Anyone willing to have a go and take part from time to time should have got on fine in there on a Wednesday night.

They were very welcoming. I always went in by myself as my friends have zero interest in poetry and I always got chatting to people in there.

I think you should do a poem in memory of the White House, An File? I'll start you off, 'There was once a pub called the white house.......'

bazz26

I hope the new setup is a success. The city pubs need a new injection of life into them especially up that side of town where it has lost a load of pubs over the last few years like the Bank, the Braven Head, Bentley's, etc. It may offer a bit more variety too rather than the default Nancy's where most people go there because that's where their mates go. A poetry night alone would never keep a place going or pay the bills these days so you have to move on.

Exeggcute

The snobbery associated with the White House stems from its very association with the poetry crowd, the perception was that if you weren't one of the arty poetry clique you were sneered at.

That was the perception at least. It put off a lot of people. Given the reaction to it becoming a sports bar I can't help but feel that its reputation was partly justified.

Insect Overlord

Exeggcute wrote: »

The snobbery associated with the White House stems from its very association with the poetry crowd, the perception was that if you weren't one of the arty poetry clique you were sneered at.

I think the problem was with the size of the pub and the sound system used for the open mic. Anyone standing under the beams between the two sections would struggle to hear the poetry if other groups were talking and laughing near the bar. It may have come across as snobbery, but I reckon it was far more likely the regulars complaining because of the noise. Anyone who wasn't used to the place on a Wednesday would have found it strange to have to stay quiet in a social spot, I suppose. A couple of better speakers/amps could have fixed it easily enough.

bigpink

The day of a sports star buying a pub and thinking everyone will come are gone.If your name id above the door you need to be there.Also the new owner wouldnt be the most warming guy i hear
Every pub is a sports pub really and even the munster thing is dead in the water

Insect Overlord

bigpink wrote: »

The day of a sports star buying a pub and thinking everyone will come are gone.If your name id above the door you need to be there.Also the new owner wouldnt be the most warming guy i hear
Every pub is a sports pub really and even the munster thing is dead in the water

That's an awful lot of pessimism for one post! You doubt the business model, the management, and even the strength of the local sports scene. Incredible. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!

panda100 wrote: »

I think you should do a poem in memory of the White House, An File? I'll start you off, 'There was once a pub called the white house.......'

There once was a pub called the White House,
And 'twas often the scene of good nights out
Where singers, actors, and bards
Stood around tables by the bar
And made art of their troubles and doubts.

:P

bigpink

I know plenty about the trade,my brother in the trade also.The days of pubs packed for Munster matches are gone.We will see will the sports star be working in the pub be great if he does

Pandiani

No disrespect to the lad but the term sports star is being used very loosely here

Cookiemunster

bigpink wrote: »

I know plenty about the trade,my brother in the trade also.The days of pubs packed for Munster matches are gone.We will see will the sports star be working in the pub be great if he does

His name is Damian Varley. You're allowed to name him. After all the Limerick Leader did 3 weeks ago when the change of ownership was announced.

Exeggcute

There once was a pub called the White House,
Which slowly descended to a ****e house,
While it had poetry galore and cultured bores,
it couldn't turn a profit to stop the lights going out.

mitresize5

So basically ...

A business is struggling to make ends meet under its current format and needs to be sold or closed

Another person buys the business to try and make a go of it

... why anyone would wish them anything but the best of luck is beyond me

bennyl10

mitresize5 wrote: »

So basically ...

A business is struggling to make ends meet under its current format and needs to be sold or closed

Another person buys the business to try and make a go of it

... why anyone would wish them anything but the best of luck is beyond me

Because begrudging is easy..

Even potshots at Munster being taken here ffs!

The poetry is seemingly more important in some eyes than a business staying open..