Whelans
25 Wexford St.Dublin
Whelans has been the standard-bearer for live venues in Dublin for years and is renowned throughout the music world.
Location:
Whelan's live venue and bar is located on the bustling Wexford Street strip in Dublin's city centre.
History Of Whelans:
In 1989 Gary Whelan and Ian Keith made inroads into making Whelan's the music venue it is today. While renovating, they stripped synthetic tiles, plasters and worktops that were added in the middle of the century in an act of modernisation, and uncovered the original wooden and stone surfaces. The cost of renovation led to large bank loans, which in turn led to large interest repayments and the pair eventually had to pack it in and sell up.
Recent History :
Frank Gleeson bought the venue in 1999. Rather than follow the trend at that time in Dublin to develop the site into a tacky “superpub”,
Gleeson nurtured the venue's traditional values, and at the same time invested heavily to improve facilities for both customers and performers.
His ethos was to create a platform that would nurture both local Irish talent and, at the same time, cater for international stars.
Reputation and Stars:
Whelan's reputation is universal. Tourists from all over the world regularly visit to photograph the venue that has played host to such legends as Jeff Buckley, Nick Cave, Christy Moore, and Peter Buck and Mike Mills from REM. In recent years Whelan's has hosted concerts for important new stars such as Damien Rice, Artic Monkeys and the Magic Numbers. It is a venue that musicians from all over the world consistently request to perform in and return to.
