Lillie's Bordello

Lillie's Bordello was a nightclub in Dublin, Ireland that operated between 1991 and 2019. As a high-end establishment, it was symbolic of the culture of the Celtic Tiger era (c. 1994–2007).[3]

Lillie's Bordello
Lillie's
Lillie's Bordello
Location within Central Dublin
Address1–2 Adam Court, off Grafton Street; and 46 Nassau Street
Dublin
Republic of Ireland
Coordinates53.343°N 6.2591115°W / 53.343; -6.2591115
OwnerGerry O'Reilly (1991–1996)[1]
Dave Egan and family (1996–2011)
Porterhouse Group (2011–2019)[2]
OperatorNoyfield Ltd
TypeNightclub
Capacity600
Opened1991
Closed19 January 2019

History

Lillie's opened in 1991 in the building, 1-2 Adam Court, at the northern end of Grafton Street, formerly occupied by Restaurant Jammet.[4] It was initially owned by Gerry O'Reilly.[5]

Dave Egan bought Lillie's in 1996.[6] A IR£2 million revamp took place in 2000. A fire damaged the building in February 2001.[7]

Valerie Roe managed the club until 2006.[8]

It was put on sale again in 2011,[9] and acquired by the Porterhouse Group.[10] Lillie's closed in January 2019, with many describing it as the "end of an era."[11][12][2]

Name and style

The club was named for Lillie Langtry (1853–1929),[9] and the name bordello was intended to evoke the Victorian era,[13] when Grafton Street was a notorious red-light district. It featured plush Victorian red velvet decor, and a "library" area accessible only to VIPs with a special key.[14]

Clientele

Most major celebrities who visited Dublin also visited Lillie's, including Julia Roberts, The Rolling Stones, Enrique Iglesias, McBusted, Rihanna, the Republic of Ireland national football team, Michael Flatley, Bruce Springsteen and Puff Daddy.[15][16] The professional wrestler Sheamus was doorman at Lillie's around the year 2000.[17] Eurovision Song Contest winner Paul Harrington worked as a pianist at the club.[18]

Successor

A new music venue called Lost Lane now operates on the site.[19]

Cultural depictions

Ronnie Wood's 1992 album Slide on This featured a track called "Ragtime Annie (Lillie's Bordello)."[20]

In the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly novel Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade (2006), Ross and his friends purchase Lillie's.[21]

Lillie's is also mentioned in Denis Hamill's Fork in the Road (2000).[22]

References
  1. "Nightlives of the rich & famous". independent.
  2. Courtney, Kevin. "Goodnight Lillie's Bordello: A Roaring Nineties party before the financial fall". The Irish Times.
  3. "Lillie's Bordello, late-night haunt of Ireland's glitterati, seeks new". The Independent. October 9, 2011.
  4. Megabites, Tom Doorley's (May 14, 2012). "Megabites: Dublin in the rare oul' times..."
  5. The Irish Times (Thursday, December 19, 1991), page 9.
  6. "Sad split for fashion queen and former nightclub king". independent.
  7. "Lillie's nightclub damaged during restaurant blaze". independent.
  8. Dodd, Eimear (December 1, 2018). "Former Lillie's Bordello manager says club's closure is 'end of an era'". DublinLive.
  9. McKittrick, David (9 October 2011). "Lillie's Bordello, late-night haunt of Ireland's glitterati, seeks new lover of plush Victoriana". Independent (London). Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  10. "Clubs purge fear frightens bidders off Lillies". independent.
  11. "Lillie's Bordello hosting a HUGE goodbye bash this weekend". Goss.ie. January 18, 2019.
  12. O'Connor, Amy. "Lillie's Bordello closes: 'I've nowhere to go now... This is my sanctuary'". The Irish Times.
  13. O'Connor, Amy (20 January 2019). "illie's Bordello closes: 'I've nowhere to go now... This is my sanctuary'". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  14. Pope, Conor. "Boomtime hangout Lillie's Bordello to shut in new year". The Irish Times.
  15. Hussey, Daniel (December 13, 2020). "Richie Sadlier on his first Ireland training session where most of the team was hungover".
  16. Parker, Jennifer (October 23, 2014). "McBusted: The Story of the World's Biggest Super Band". Simon and Schuster – via Google Books.
  17. "From doorman at Lillie's to one of the biggest Irish exports in American entertainment - meet Stephen 'Sheamus' Farrelly". independent.
  18. "New album is atribute to his family says Paul". independent.
  19. "First glimpse inside new music venue Lost Lane which will replace iconic Lillie's Bordello". independent.
  20. "Ragtime Annie (Lillie's Bordello) — Ron Wood". Last.fm.
  21. Gorman, Clare (June 1, 2015). "The Undecidable: Jacques Derrida and Paul Howard". Cambridge Scholars Publishing – via Google Books.
  22. Hamill, Denis (January 6, 2000). "Fork in the Road". Pocket Books – via Google Books.
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