Following a hugely popular protest in August to save the landmark beer garden at the back of Fibber’s rock bar, organisers Rock For Culture will hold a second demonstration calling on An Bord Pleanála to protect cultural spaces in Dublin.
The demonstration which will take place this Thursday, September 22, aims to lobby the planning authority by showcasing some of the culture which the group believes planners are “eroding for profit”. They also aim to address the city development plans in relation to cultural spaces.
Featured as part of the showcase will be; drag sensation and a regular fixture at the Fibber’s queer night Dance to the Underground, Coco Ri; nnothersday who appeared at the Fish Town arena at Electric picnic; and a host of guest speakers.
As part of their performance, nnothersday will perform an improvised story and piano piece highlighting a 20-year history of venues and clubs that have come and gone from the city.
The event will focus on four main points:
- To ask what the city has lost due to lack of government care
- To assess what injection the arts need immediately as well as for the future
- Address how the city development plan impacts the arts
- Establish the next tactics to combat the Holiday Inn expansion which jeopardises the cultural space of Fibber’s
View this post on Instagram
The original protest in August was held after the JMK Group submitted plans to An Bord Pleanála to expand the Holiday Inn hotel into the beer garden space behind Fibber’s bar.
In the 43 years since the bar was established, the venue has seen the rise of acts such as Aslan, D C Fontianes and the Pillow Queens. It also boasts an incredible average of 15 bands per week, equating to over 1,000 per year, making it one of the city’s most unique and important spaces for alternative culture.
The Rock for Culture demonstration will take place outside the offices of An Bord Pleanála on Marlborough Street at 1 pm on Thursday, September 22.
Organisers have also created an online petition to save the beer garden which can be signed here.
© 2022 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN has been a vital, free-of-charge information service for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
During this global COVID pandemic, we like many other organisations have been impacted greatly in the way we can do business and produce. This means a temporary pause to our print publication and live events and so now more than ever we need your help to continue providing this community resource digitally.
GCN is a registered charity with a not-for-profit business model and we need your support. If you value having an independent LGBTQ+ media in Ireland, you can help from as little as €1.99 per month. Support Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.