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When I look back on the Christmas to Newry Year period in the 1980's when I was in my 20's it seems incredible that I could manage so many nights out in a row and still find the time and energy to go to work!
Going out then was certainly very different to now, perhaps no better or worse, just different. If you are twenty something at present and your hectic social life gives you a few spare minutes to put your thoughts on the state of play currently I'd love to hear from you.
Thinking back, I do wonder how my parents coped with this person that was constantly running, living under the same roof as them? I certainly wasn't unique and I'm sure all my friends had similar. Dad's call of "could you not stay in for one night" was always destined to fall on deaf ears. There is no doubt there is much selfishness attached to the social butterfly status of the teen/ twenty something. I look back now with some regret but being brutally honest staying in over Christmas was just never going to happen with the lure of friends pulling you in so many directions.
Coming as I did from a rural home 'ten miles from anywhere' it seems, looking back, that there were just so many more options than if I had lived in the 'centre' of things. With the privilege of a wonderful circle of friends our cars were never off the road. My Eleven Lane Ends home (closest town Markethill) with hindsight was actually the centre of everywhere. The Imperial - no problem, Loughgilly, Whitecross, Lislea, Longfield Road and bobs your uncle. The Nuremore ... yes please - Lislea, Crossmaglen, Culloville and a few tight corners later you're there. Glencairn ... it would be wrong not to - Markethill, Keady and there it is!
Even Christmas Eve was ripe for a night out with if I recall the Drumsill opening - and that was just the beginning. One place that didn't feature an awful lot over Christmas was Newry, although I have made up for that in recent years. The 80's was a time when you felt a little more comfortable south of the border even if you did have to go through army checkpoints.
What a choice of nightclubs we had and if you wanted to know what was on when and where there was only one go-to publication - The Armagh Down Observer, with pages upon pages of exciting entertainment possibilities.
My destinations included the Drumsill and Hughes in Armagh, Nuremore and Oasis in Carrickmacross, Glencairn in Castleblaney, Hillgrove in Monaghan, Imperial in Dundalk, Coach in Banbridge, Glenavon and Clubland in Cookstown, Rosnaree in Drogheda and of course Laceys, they were all well visited. I thought I was much too young and cool for the 'newly weds and nearly deads' venue though, but did discover it along the way.
It's a good job I kept a diary. Christmas 1988 seemed a 'quiet' one when I look back, with me out just 5 nights out of 7!
Midnight Mass in Armagh won out that Christmas Eve, then Christmas Night was Laceys. St Stephens Day didn't start off too well with diary entry 'not feeling 100%' but ended with 'Went out to Nuremore, a great nights crack, home 4.45am' - what an incredible recovery I must have made. Tuesday 27 was off to The Imperial, Thursday 29 was back to Laceys and Friday 30 off we go to The Glenavon. Surprise surprise though I stayed in New Years Eve.
What a great nightspot Laceys was. Always packed and you were always guaranteed to know lots of people. In Dundalk itself It was a time of your free chicken in a basket in The Imperial followed by hanging around the Chinese vans in Clanbrassil Street. It was also the time of not heading out till well after 11.
Unfortunately the phrase 'they still have their communion money' never applied here, but at least the money I spent has left me with memories that money literally couldn't buy - at least the ones I can remember! Perhaps fortunately a photographic record of such nights is scarce.
Would love to hear some of your memories of your nights out.
