Castlebar continues to disappoint tonight..............again

Castlebardude

On an August bank holiday weekend, a weekend where Castlebar is receiving the added boost of a massive GAA championship match with a full house in Mc Hale park and accommodation in the town full to capacity, its very disappointing to see F all happening in the county town entertainment wise for people in the 18 - 40 year old age bracket. This was a great opportunity for, I don't know, the local chamber/business community, hoteliers,publicans,entrepreneurs to try to work together and put on a mini festival, run something big in our venues, something.......anything ! Anything to keep all the young people with money to spend to come to town and part with their money in town and for Castlebar to show them how to have a good time, "come and stay" ! "We're open for business!".

The Visit Castlebar Facebook page "What's On, August Bank Holiday" poster is like something from Fr.Ted. I have seen more events listed in a village entertainment line-up !

For tonight after the match, you can go the Cobweb for an evening acoustic, or go across the road to Sloyans for "live music" or go to Coxes. That's it ! That seems to be all we have to offer our locals and visitors tonight ! Our county town bursting from the seams today and thats all we can come up with ! And the business community continue to scratch their heads and wonder why everyone f*%#s off to Westport !

It will be interesting to see how many Donegal jersey's will be wandering through the streets of Westport tonight !
How many of them will be staying in Castlebar accommodation but depart on the buses this evening for Westport.

At 3:30pm,a quick look through the following Facebook pages of the town's entertainment venues show absolutely nothing advertised for tonight:

Ivy Tower Hotel
The Lounge
Mantra
TF Royal Hotel & Theatre
Royal Theatre
Garbos
Bridge Street

Now if you are a twenty something or thirty something and you've come to Castlebar for the big match with the gang of friends and are making a night of it and staying here, come 8/9pm, what are ye going to do ? Ye start looking through Facebook and Instagram to see what's on. Ye start asking the locals about what's on and where to go. Are ye going to go to Sloyans or the Cobweb ! Are ye going to wait around to not get in to Coxes because it's full by 12:30 ! No ! Of course not ! Ye are going to go where the crowd go - ye are going to go to Westport !

Castlebar has never been in such a bad place and today was such a missed opportunity to put on something to attract people to stay. A covered bar like what was in Eyre Square during the Arts Festival could have been erected on the Mall, Castle Street Car Park or Main Street Car Park. So many people couldn't get tickets and don't have Sky so putting up a large screen showing the match in such a structure followed by live music and/or Dj would have attracted huge crowds and given a mini festival buzz. The Mitchels could have done that too up beside Mc Hale park to raise big money for the club if they had the vision.

Seems to me that no one in Castlebar has vision anymore. Blind as bats ! Open the door and hope for the best. Castlebar needs a bloody Ents committee fully supported by the business and hospitality community to start making things happen. Stop whinging about Westport and MAKE IT HAPPEN !

I'd love to see how things turn out this evening and tonight in Castlebar. Will I be right ! Will everyone just f*#@k off to Westport tonight !

DuckSlice

You seem to feel very strongly about it, you seem to have the vision, why not try and do something?

iluvfatfrogs

Saturday night in Cbar was one of the best nights in town in years
Every pub packed to the rafters
The last thing they should have done was have music taking up space for 10-20 people on the one night of the year they were guaranteed to have a good crowd

Castlebardude

etxp wrote: »

You seem to feel very strongly about it, you seem to have the vision, why not try and do something?

A friend of mine who has night club promotion and events experience tried to hire a venue that night and couldn't get one. 2 of the big ones he tried remained closed.

Castlebardude

iluvfatfrogs wrote: »

Saturday night in Cbar was one of the best nights in town in years
Every pub packed to the rafters
The last thing they should have done was have music taking up space for 10-20 people on the one night of the year they were guaranteed to have a good crowd

When bars feel they don't need to put on entertainment because they are guaranteed to have a good crowd anyway, the "good crowd" will eventually move to a place that makes an effort.
Where did everyone go after closing time in the bars ? Coxes can only fit so much.

Dudda

Castlebardude wrote: »

When bars feel they don't need to put on entertainment because they are guaranteed to have a good crowd anyway, the "good crowd" will eventually move to a place that makes an effort.
Where did everyone go after closing time in the bars ? Coxes can only fit so much.

I watched the match in Johnny’s and the band started setting up as soon as the match finished.

Wasn’t it 6pm the match started and I, like most, was in the pub around 5:30pm. At a guess I’d say most would have had their fill of booze by the time they stopped serving 7 or 8 hours later and didn’t need a late bar or club. You need Cox’s and nightclubs when people head out at 9 or 10pm I think but not as much when people start earlier. Granted people at the match would have started later than me at 8pm but may have had a pint or two before the match. Maybe I’m just getting old and not able for it anymore but Supermacs was packed at 10:30 with others like me when I was getting the compulsory takeaway on the way home.

DuckSlice

Castlebardude wrote: »

A friend of mine who has night club promotion and events experience tried to hire a venue that night and couldn't get one. 2 of the big ones he tried remained closed.

It's not the big event days like that match that anything needed to be done, its every other weekend. Like said in this thread already a good night was had in the town, so nothing needed to be organised. Were you out yourself? or are you one of these people that says its awful sad to see places closing down yet you never go out and have a drink in these places.

When is your friend next organising something in Castlebar or is he just going to continue to try and piggyback off the big events already?

Castlebardude

Dudda wrote: »

I watched the match in Johnny’s and the band started setting up as soon as the match finished.

Wasn’t it 6pm the match started and I, like most, was in the pub around 5:30pm. At a guess I’d say most would have had their fill of booze by the time they stopped serving 7 or 8 hours later and didn’t need a late bar or club. You need Cox’s and nightclubs when people head out at 9 or 10pm I think but not as much when people start earlier. Granted people at the match would have started later than me at 8pm but may have had a pint or two before the match. Maybe I’m just getting old and not able for it anymore but Supermacs was packed at 10:30 with others like me when I was getting the compulsory takeaway on the way home.

Sign of old age Dudda ! would you have gone home at 10:30pm when you were in you're 20s & 30s ?

Still though, wouldn't it have been great though if a mini fanzone was setup in the town centre for non ticket holders to gather to watch the game with a festival vibe !

Castlebardude

etxp wrote: »

It's not the big event days like that match that anything needed to be done, its every other weekend. Like said in this thread already a good night was had in the town, so nothing needed to be organised. Were you out yourself? or are you one of these people that says its awful sad to see places closing down yet you never go out and have a drink in these places.

When is your friend next organising something in Castlebar or is he just going to continue to try and piggyback off the big events already?

As I mentioned in my original post, it was a good opportunity to showcase the town's entertainment scene to outsiders (not that there has been much of one in recent years !).

I was out myself yes and am not one of "these people".

"Piggyback" ! would you expect him to put thousands on the line in the second week of November ! It's not his first time in trying to do something in town but as you know, we have a limited amount of venues that can cater for 500+ people and those that are there don't seem to want anyone else possibly making money if they aren't capable of doing it themselves.

Summer is nearly over, Castlebar will continue to be the town to shop in but not really to socialise in into winter and for the foreseeable future I'm afraid to say !

PARlance

Castlebardude wrote: »

Sign of old age Dudda ! would you have gone home at 10:30pm when you were in you're 20s & 30s ?

Still though, wouldn't it have been great though if a mini fanzone was setup in the town centre for non ticket holders to gather to watch the game with a festival vibe !

There was a mini fan zone set up for the last All Ireland Final. A great set up. Doing it for a semi-final is excessive and we didn't know that we'd be in it until the weekend before, in any case.

Have you done anything yourself, bar complain, about the situation? Have you volunteered for anything lately? E.g. Got in touch with the likes of Love Castlebar to see if you can do something positive?

There is not much anyone, bar the people that own them, can do about nightclubs in town.

Castlebardude

PARlance wrote: »

There was a mini fan zone set up for the last All Ireland Final. A great set up. Doing it for a semi-final is excessive and we didn't know that we'd be in it until the weekend before, in any case.

Have you done anything yourself, bar complain, about the situation? Have you volunteered for anything lately? E.g. Got in touch with the likes of Love Castlebar to see if you can do something positive?

There is not much anyone, bar the people that own them, can do about nightclubs in town.

Yes I know and it was great to see and as far as I know, attracted a great crowd and was well received and considering the quarter final against Donegal was a sell out with a huge demand on tickets, why not put it on again ? Who organised it ? They now have the know how and experience in doing it, why not do it again and try and make it even better - add in a bar and post match entertainment.
No longer living in Castlebar so not on the ground to be in a position to volunteer with "Love Castlebar" I'm afraid but deffo admire what they are doing.

iluvfatfrogs

Castlebardude wrote: »

Yes I know and it was great to see and as far as I know, attracted a great crowd and was well received and considering the quarter final against Donegal was a sell out with a huge demand on tickets, why not put it on again ? Who organised it ? They now have the know how and experience in doing it, why not do it again and try and make it even better - add in a bar and post match entertainment.
No longer living in Castlebar so not on the ground to be in a position to volunteer with "Love Castlebar" I'm afraid but deffo admire what they are doing.

Ah yes...
We’re gettung used to this now...
people from castlebar who don’t live here anymore who come home on bank holiday weekends and Xmas and complain there’s nothing to do...
I actually feel (specifically because of bridge st) there’s never been a more varied schedule of types of entertainment to choose from over the summer.

PARlance

Castlebardude wrote: »

Yes I know and it was great to see and as far as I know, attracted a great crowd and was well received and considering the quarter final against Donegal was a sell out with a huge demand on tickets, why not put it on again ? Who organised it ? They now have the know how and experience in doing it, why not do it again and try and make it even better - add in a bar and post match entertainment.
No longer living in Castlebar so not on the ground to be in a position to volunteer with "Love Castlebar" I'm afraid but deffo admire what they are doing.

Love Castlebar organised it but it was heavily supported by local business afaik. Pretty costly to organise and also had a fair few issues with the Council re location iirc.

The Councillors are the ones who need a rocket up their you know whats. They were complaining about the environment impact of the Love Lannagh festival at their last meeting.

Doctors room ghost

When they closed badger Browns that was the finish of it for me.
Used to be rocking of a Monday night

DuckSlice

@castlebardude - it seems all you have this account for is to comment that there is nothing to do in Castlebar and why wont people organise something, I just don't get how you feel so strong about something and are not pro-active in changing it.

Castlebardude

iluvfatfrogs wrote: »

Ah yes...
We’re gettung used to this now...
people from castlebar who don’t live here anymore who come home on bank holiday weekends and Xmas and complain there’s nothing to do...
I actually feel (specifically because of bridge st) there’s never been a more varied schedule of types of entertainment to choose from over the summer.

Maybe, just maybe, we are seeing what goes on in other towns and would love to see it happening in our own town for the betterment of the town.

If you feel Bridge Street's entertainment program is enough for a town the size of Castlebar then fair enough, you are entitled to your opinion.The busloads heading to Westport this weekend will beg to differ.

Castlebardude

etxp wrote: »

@castlebardude - it seems all you have this account for is to comment that there is nothing to do in Castlebar and why wont people organise something, I just don't get how you feel so strong about something and are not pro-active in changing it.

How do you know that I have not been proactive in trying to change it ? I know various different people and groups over the years that have tried things and have met resistance or closed doors at different levels.
I'm afraid it will take a lot more than one individual in changing things in town. They could do with a can-do attitude and support from the local community as well rather than the "sure everything is grand, we have one pub that puts on good entertainment !" Or "you're one of these, that no longer lives in town that complains, there's nothing on, why don't you do something yourself ! " comments made here.
Tell ye what, If I win the lotto, I'll by Bosh and the 2 vacant buildings beside it and make one big late night entertainment venue !

Etxp, its not often I use boards.ie but since you've trawled through my historical posts you will see this one below from 3 years and 3 months ago, look how far we've come in that time !

"Castlebar is at an all time low & has been for quite some time now. I don't think it can get much worse, things can only get better & for that reason I actually think this is an exciting time for the town & failure won't be an option. I believe it will turn a corner over the next 1-2 (maybe 3) years & as these new projects come to fruition they will breathe new life & confidence into the town & as Xenji said "this in turn leads to more confidence in further investment for new projects".

The developers who have the balls to invest in these projects right now are so going to reap the rewards down the line.Mark my words, Bridge Street will soon become a hive of activity, Mc Carthys will become the place to be as a pub for bar food & for entertainment, you won't get a table in the new Bay Leaf on a Saturday night, Mick Byrnes will bounce off the other 2 as will the new Sam Adams around the corner and whoever opens a "right" nightclub will absolutely cream it ! It will be up to the others than to step up to the plate or get left behind"

statto25

Castlebardude wrote: »

How do you know that I have not been proactive in trying to change it ? I know various different people and groups over the years that have tried things and have met resistance or closed doors at different levels.
I'm afraid it will take a lot more than one individual in changing things in town. They could do with a can-do attitude and support from the local community as well rather than the "sure everything is grand, we have one pub that puts on good entertainment !" Or "you're one of these, that no longer lives in town that complains, there's nothing on, why don't you do something yourself ! " comments made here.
Tell ye what, If I win the lotto, I'll by Bosh and the 2 vacant buildings beside it and make one big late night entertainment venue !

Etxp, its not often I use boards.ie but since you've trawled through my historical posts you will see this one below from 3 years and 3 months ago, look how far we've come in that time !

"Castlebar is at an all time low & has been for quite some time now. I don't think it can get much worse, things can only get better & for that reason I actually think this is an exciting time for the town & failure won't be an option. I believe it will turn a corner over the next 1-2 (maybe 3) years & as these new projects come to fruition they will breathe new life & confidence into the town & as Xenji said "this in turn leads to more confidence in further investment for new projects".

The developers who have the balls to invest in these projects right now are so going to reap the rewards down the line.Mark my words, Bridge Street will soon become a hive of activity, Mc Carthys will become the place to be as a pub for bar food & for entertainment, you won't get a table in the new Bay Leaf on a Saturday night, Mick Byrnes will bounce off the other 2 as will the new Sam Adams around the corner and whoever opens a "right" nightclub will absolutely cream it ! It will be up to the others than to step up to the plate or get left behind"

Your post from 3 years ago wasn't far off but in my view the catalyst for all of that to succeed was the new "Bay Leaf" restaurant which could be dead in the water for all we know. Its a crying shame it never got going as it would have been a success in my mind and was a huge talking point in the town when the development was proposed

Castlebardude

statto25 wrote: »

Your post from 3 years ago wasn't far off but in my view the catalyst for all of that to succeed was the new "Bay Leaf" restaurant which could be dead in the water for all we know. Its a crying shame it never got going as it would have been a success in my mind and was a huge talking point in the town when the development was proposed

Agree totally I thought the same and I guess that's why we are not seeing any new investors coming in (local or outsiders), they will be watching what's going on and if the 2 local lads can't get theirs off the ground why would you take the risk !
They must be sitting on that property for about 4 years now,their hands tied behind their backs, paying a mortgage for it, what an absolute traversty !

Anyone know why it hasn't started yet ? Thought they overcame all the bullsh*t objections ! Hopefully just waiting on the builder to finish another project !

Thou

Was reported in local press in April that work was due to start this Summer. Could be a number of things holding it up, but wouldn't rule it out going ahead yet.