Zoë Bowyer

Many moons ago I spent some time in Dingle, Co Kerry, with the Kerry Auntie. I would find myself vexed at the difficulty in getting a copy of the NME. Whilst in London I had been able to pick up a copy on a Tuesday evening, in Dingle I had to wait until a Thursday. Natch, every Thursday I was in Garveys waiting for them to unpack the 2 copies they had ordered. If I couldn’t get a copy I was distraught.

As for nightlife Dingle has many pubs but only one nightclub - The Hillgrove Hotel. At the age I was then there was no chance that I would be going home at pub closing time on a Friday and Saturday. I was ready to party. Even if the music was shit chart music.

Wednesdays were Indie Night - which meant that they played a few alternative songs as well as the usual chart crap. They played the Pixies a few times which kept me happy. We didn’t care that the DJ was the crappest DJ on the planet.

There would always be a slow set, and young couples would get up on the dance floor, smooch and grope each others arses. On one memorable occasion an acquaintance of mine went up dancing with her boyfriend and interrupted her smooching to vomit all over him. I had to laugh. The guy was not very impressed but seemed more bothered by the fact he had been vomited on than the fact that his girlfriend was clearly very unwell.

Thursday nights were for Set Dancing and even though I couldn’t do the dances it didn’t stop me trying. Someone should have!

The Hillgrove was a place for getting drunk, dancing and smoking. It was unbearably shit, but at the same time had a wonderful mix of people due to Dingle being a tourist hotspot during the summer.

I have fond memories of the place and the people.

Imagine my surprise to find the Hillgrove getting a mention in the NME when Snow Patrol played there last week. They didn’t have gigs like that in my day!