Going Dutch in Dublin comes with a free lesson in partying
DUBLIN City Council has refused planning permission for a hotel beside one of the most famous traditional music pubs in the world, the Cobblestone.
This column applauds the decision, although is aware that this isn’t necessarily the end of the entire process.
Should an appeal be mounted, I’d be happy to appear as a witness for the Cobblestone and the positive influence it has had on music, language and culture over the years. For me, one incident in particular stands out. Some years ago, Armagh traditional music organisation Ceol Camloch held a party in the Cobblestone to launch its traditional music archive. Some of the finest musicians from Armagh and surrounding areas gathered — generations of families playing banjo, accordion, fiddle, pipes etc were going at it full throttle.
I was at the bar when a young Dutchman happened to arrive. He’d only been in the country some five hours, and had somehow stumbled into the function room at the Cobblestone. He was amazed that the bar was free — and although this was a private event, no one seemed moved to show him the door. So he tucked into his Guinness, and indeed some sausage rolls and assorted bar snacks, also free.
Unlike most Dutch people — who usually speak several languages to the standard of UN interpreters — this chap’s English was scarcely better than my Dutch, ie, not good at all.
I tried to explain that this wasn’t a normal evening in the pub; that it was a private bash. But by then our young Dutch friend had downed a couple of pints and was entranced by a dancing master perform the brush dance. The Dutch lad’s hand kept going to the free Guinness and sausage rolls. ‘Sink chew, sink chew,’ he kept saying in gratitude.
He left the Cobblestone, heading in the direction of Temple Bar, probably believing he’d find generations of Dubliners singing traditional songs, free Guinness, the works.
As I climbed on our coach back home, I watched him disappear into the night. I’ve often wondered how he fared.