Grove Social Club
Encyclopedia
The Grove Social Club was an Irish alternative discothèque social club started in Clontarf
, Dublin, Ireland
. It opened in 1967 on Mount Prospect Avenue in Clontarf
, in Belgrove Football Club (from which the club got its name). It moved to St. Paul's College, Raheny in 1975 when the old pavilion was burnt down.
The Grove was known as the Northside
's (of Dublin, Ireland
) original alternative disco, because the music being played there was different to anything being played in any discos in Dublin throughout the whole 30 years of its existence. (e.g. Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Jackson Browne, Focus, Deep Purple, Wings, Black Sabbath, Steely Dan, Golden Earing, Queen, The Eagles, ZZ Top, The Boomtown Rats, Supertramp, Guns N' Roses, Rory Gallagher, Fleetwood Mac, Stiff Little Fingers, Thin Lizzy, Sex Pistols, Horslips, Roxy Music, Joy Division, UFO, Genesis, U2, Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones, Whitesnake, Simple Minds, The Cure, Metallica, The Cult, Neil Young, Nirvana, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, AC/DC, B52s, Pearl Jam, Talking Heads, plus many others).
Cecil Nolan was the DJ for the whole 30 years at the Grove until it closed in 1997. Cecil influenced the musical taste of three generations of young northside Dubliners, and shaped their record and CD collections as well. The list of Grove alumni that went on to successful careers on radio and TV is truly impressive, and many of Ireland's best known media personalities regularly wax lyrical about their time at the Grove and acknowledge the debt they owe Cecil.
In 2001 Andy Colbert began running Grove tribute nights at The Isaac Butt Venue in Dublin's city centre. In late 2004, he eventually persuaded Cecil Nolan to make guest appearances, hence these tributes became reunions and relocated to The Sheiling Hotel, Raheny
. These reunions ran four times a year - Easter, Summer, Hallowe'en and Christmas, until the beginning of redevelopment of the Sheiling Hotel into an apartment building in Spring 2008. The Grove Reunions now happen twice year at Clontarf Castle and attract huge crowds of people who want relive a little bit of their youth, meet old and new friends, and listen to fantastic music.
The spirit of the Grove is also kept alive all year round on the grove social club website (see link below)
A documentary about the Grove was commissioned by Raidió Teilifís Éireann
and televised in 2006.
Over thirty years many wonderful characters were known to frequent the Grove....most notably, the Legend that is Biker Pat ( who featured heavily in the documentary referred to later in this article )Ten Year Cindermella,The Famous Fagan Sisters,The Mad Monarch and Marcus the Flute. Several delectable ladies could also be seen regularly at the Grove,among them ( and in no particular order ) a Bluebell,a Star,a little Blondie,a Carlagh Witch,a Whitby Goth,a Mexican Mins a Stevie Nicks a right Eejit,a gaggle of beauties now banished to the far reaches of NCD, ( you know who you are ) and an X ( not a FourX or an X Squared,just an X).These young ones (sic ) were forever trying to attract / divert ( delete as applicable ) the attentions of such dubious characters such as The Floyd Ranger and Tonto,Compo,Clegg,Foggy and the rest of the Crusty oul fellas from Last of the Summer Wine,a Black Russian,Rolo the invisible man and Whippersnapper,a Hippy with short hair ( God between us and all harm ), a Danish Teacher in a kilt,some fella who would one day be known as Two Kaks and several High Density photographers ( you also know who you are ).
Clontarf
Clontarf may refer to:Placenames:*Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland*Clontarf, New South Wales, Australia*Clontarf, Queensland, Australia*Clontarf, Minnesota, United StatesOther:*Battle of Clontarf, 1014...
, Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It opened in 1967 on Mount Prospect Avenue in Clontarf
Clontarf
Clontarf may refer to:Placenames:*Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland*Clontarf, New South Wales, Australia*Clontarf, Queensland, Australia*Clontarf, Minnesota, United StatesOther:*Battle of Clontarf, 1014...
, in Belgrove Football Club (from which the club got its name). It moved to St. Paul's College, Raheny in 1975 when the old pavilion was burnt down.
The Grove was known as the Northside
Northside
Northside or North Side may refer to:Music:* Northside , a musical group from Manchester, England* NorthSide, an American record labelPlaces:* North Side, California, former name of Oildale, California, United States...
's (of Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) original alternative disco, because the music being played there was different to anything being played in any discos in Dublin throughout the whole 30 years of its existence. (e.g. Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Jackson Browne, Focus, Deep Purple, Wings, Black Sabbath, Steely Dan, Golden Earing, Queen, The Eagles, ZZ Top, The Boomtown Rats, Supertramp, Guns N' Roses, Rory Gallagher, Fleetwood Mac, Stiff Little Fingers, Thin Lizzy, Sex Pistols, Horslips, Roxy Music, Joy Division, UFO, Genesis, U2, Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones, Whitesnake, Simple Minds, The Cure, Metallica, The Cult, Neil Young, Nirvana, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, AC/DC, B52s, Pearl Jam, Talking Heads, plus many others).
Cecil Nolan was the DJ for the whole 30 years at the Grove until it closed in 1997. Cecil influenced the musical taste of three generations of young northside Dubliners, and shaped their record and CD collections as well. The list of Grove alumni that went on to successful careers on radio and TV is truly impressive, and many of Ireland's best known media personalities regularly wax lyrical about their time at the Grove and acknowledge the debt they owe Cecil.
In 2001 Andy Colbert began running Grove tribute nights at The Isaac Butt Venue in Dublin's city centre. In late 2004, he eventually persuaded Cecil Nolan to make guest appearances, hence these tributes became reunions and relocated to The Sheiling Hotel, Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
. These reunions ran four times a year - Easter, Summer, Hallowe'en and Christmas, until the beginning of redevelopment of the Sheiling Hotel into an apartment building in Spring 2008. The Grove Reunions now happen twice year at Clontarf Castle and attract huge crowds of people who want relive a little bit of their youth, meet old and new friends, and listen to fantastic music.
The spirit of the Grove is also kept alive all year round on the grove social club website (see link below)
A documentary about the Grove was commissioned by Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
and televised in 2006.
External links
Over thirty years many wonderful characters were known to frequent the Grove....most notably, the Legend that is Biker Pat ( who featured heavily in the documentary referred to later in this article )Ten Year Cindermella,The Famous Fagan Sisters,The Mad Monarch and Marcus the Flute. Several delectable ladies could also be seen regularly at the Grove,among them ( and in no particular order ) a Bluebell,a Star,a little Blondie,a Carlagh Witch,a Whitby Goth,a Mexican Mins a Stevie Nicks a right Eejit,a gaggle of beauties now banished to the far reaches of NCD, ( you know who you are ) and an X ( not a FourX or an X Squared,just an X).These young ones (sic ) were forever trying to attract / divert ( delete as applicable ) the attentions of such dubious characters such as The Floyd Ranger and Tonto,Compo,Clegg,Foggy and the rest of the Crusty oul fellas from Last of the Summer Wine,a Black Russian,Rolo the invisible man and Whippersnapper,a Hippy with short hair ( God between us and all harm ), a Danish Teacher in a kilt,some fella who would one day be known as Two Kaks and several High Density photographers ( you also know who you are ).