The dancefloor days are dwindling with just SIX nightclubs opening on a regular basis in Donegal.
The industry is on the ‘brink of collapse’, warns campaign group Give Us The Night.
A recent survey shows just 83 clubs are active across the Republic of Ireland. This compares to 328 nightclubs in 2008.
Donegal fares better than other counties, with some only having one nightclub left, or none at all in the case of Kilkenny.
Give Us The Night has warned that there are quite a few clubs teetering on the edge of closure in 2025. They say that the public’s desire to dance at night hasn’t gone away and that government has the power to save the industry in the new Programme For Government.
“We need reform now,” they said.
“To achieve growth in the night-time industry, a complete rethink of our licensing laws and structure around them needs to take place.
“There is a lack of clarity running through the licensing system in Ireland, with regulations that can vastly differ from county to county. Unlike our European counterparts, Ireland lacks a specific set of decision-makers in relation to night-time events and licensing, with limited initiatives in place to enhance the night-time economy.”
They are also calling for the abolition of Special Exemption Orders.
They said: “The new government needs to be clear finally – is it going to help dance venues or not? From thousands of dancehalls back in the day (some of which the State even paid for) to 83 specialist night-time dance venues (nightclubs) left across the entire country. As Programme For Government details are finalised, we ask all of you to look very closely at the next announcements from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. On one hand you have a party – Fianna Fáil – that has made the most damaging changes (1935, 2000, 2008) to licensing, while on the other hand you have Fine Gael who have made all types of promises but delivered nothing.”
