Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The Roundy

'For the quiet gigs you can hear a pin drop': How The Roundy in Cork makes magic with music

The iconic Cork space has changed a lot in the last decade.

THE ROUNDY BAR on Cork’s Castle Street has lots of faces.

To some people, it’s a café where they grab their morning espresso or have afternoon tea. To others it’s a craft beer pub to enjoy a few pints with friends. 

Another crowd might head upstairs at the weekends and so to them it’s primarily a nightclub and live music venue, hosting a wide range of gigs from punk to techno.

But then again it’s also a record store and it’s well known for comedy.

The crowd the bar draws are hugely diverse – and that is the appeal of it says owner Frank Bradley. “It’s a cross mix of people,” he says. The Roundy is aimed at the over 23s, says Bradley: “We stay away from the student market, we are not aiming at that.”

Famous for the curved shape that inspired its name, the Roundy’s location was part of the original walled city in Cork. Sitting outside on a quiet morning, you can well imagine how it was once part of a bustling medieval market place. 

The building itself dates back to around 1850 and it is rumoured to be the bar where Michael Collins had his last drink before he was shot at Béal na Bláth in west Cork.

As of last year, upstairs at the Roundy bar is home to Plugd Records, it’s a vinyl store by day and music venue by night – showcasing talent from across the genres, from jazz improv to punk rock and from folk and into techno.

The aim is simply to host an array of diverse local and national talent from every genre, says Jim Horgan, owner of Plugd Records. “Most of the events are monthly occurrences curated by local promoters,” he says. 

There’s a real sense of community around the space with promoters and musician often swapping ideas and working with each other.

Although featuring a wide range of musical genres, Plugd is certainly part of a dance music revival happening in Cork, says Horgan.   

“There is a strong and fabled history of house and techno in Cork which has seen a resurgence in recent years,” he says. “There is definitely more interest in dance music due to the increase in venues, with local DJs and producers getting a chance to play out.”

He has increased vinyl sales too, reflecting this trend, he says. 

Plugd host electronic nights every Saturday in the Roundy. Electronic music is a broad church so those gigs “can range from more experimental live performances to dancefloor DJ sets,” says Horgan. 

They have a lot of regulars on Saturday nights and those people appreciate variety he says.

The Roundy has a special atmosphere which is partially down to the small size of the space, says Horgan. It is the opposite of a ‘super-club’ perhaps. “People have a lot of respect for the space, the musicians and each other,” he says. “ For the quieter gigs you can hear a pin drop, and at the weekends it’s a real club in a pub feeling.”

The Cafe Bar

Downstairs in the main bar, the owner Frank Bradley was determined to shake the cobwebs off the place, when he took it over in 2006.

Back then the windows were blacked-out so you couldn’t see into the bar. But Bradley wanted to go for the opposite vibe – moving away from the often dark and heavily decorated, traditional Irish pub in favour of a light and minimalist cafe-bar.

“It’s an old-style building but it’s very open inside, lots of mirrors, light,” says Bradley. “It’s a really good place in the summertime and all year round. It’s light-hearted, it’s not a heavy pub style it’s more of a café vibe.”

The bar draws in an eclectic mix of people from diverse backgrounds and has lots of regulars. Some Europeans living in Cork have made the place their local, popping in in the morning for an espresso and coming back in the evening with friends for a glass of craft beer.“We do coffees and have a big selection of herbal teas, cakes, scones, toasted sandwiches and we have a selection of craft beers, which we vary out,” he says. 

Bradley used to run well-known Cork dance music venue Lebowskis from 1997 to 2003, he says. At the time it was the place to go before hitting the legendary Sir Henry’s nightclub – possibly Ireland’s most iconic dance club. “That was a music bar, it was a pre-bar for Sir Henrys and the same style of music,” says Bradley.

Despite that experience, he didn’t have much time to concentrate on getting the gigs going upstairs in the Roundy, he says. He threw a few good events there over the years, but it was all a bit disorganised so he was relieved when Plugd Records got involved, turning upstairs into a record store and professional music venue. 

As well as all that music at the weekends, there is comedy at least three nights a week and comedy improv on a Tuesday too, says Bradley. 

The Roundy is getting a make-over inside at the moment, painting, floors and other touches. As spring approaches Bradley is looking forward to throwing open his big sash windows very soon. “The open windows connect the bar to the street outside, and to all the life that is happening outside,” he says. 

More: ‘It’s humbling’: How a little-used pool hall become one of Dublin’s most exciting music venues>

Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Corry
    Favourite Shane Corry
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:32 PM

    Sounds like a complete non-story. So some employee of a contractor made a mistake, it was quickly resolved within an hour and they are getting compensation?

    361
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute happinessnow
    Favourite happinessnow
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:52 PM

    @Sean Murphy: Is that true? Actually I don’t even know why I ask you that, Lawless Ireland, build more prison spaces ASAP.

    76
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Candace
    Favourite Candace
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:57 PM

    @Sean Murphy:

    What part of the country?

    12
    See 12 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Murphy
    Favourite Sean Murphy
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:59 PM
    76
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ted Murray
    Favourite Ted Murray
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:05 PM

    @Sean Murphy: __ He should have one last taxi ride, to Dublin Airport.

    79
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Murphy
    Favourite Sean Murphy
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:06 PM

    @Candace: Dublin, of course! Our most ‘diverse’ city so therefore our ‘strongest’, or so the leftists say!

    58
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:14 PM

    @Sean Murphy: that’s shocking. Our Judiciary is truly fu(ked.

    60
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute gerard carey
    Favourite gerard carey
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:17 PM

    @Sean Murphy: You won’t hear about that on the journal. Independent.ie covered it. It’s like a bad April fools joke.

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Corry
    Favourite Shane Corry
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:24 PM

    @Sean Murphy: Wow that judgement is horrendous though I can’t say it isn’t typical of the Irish judicial system – the only country that allows those with 100s of previous convictions to repeately get away with crimes with no punishment.

    He has two teenage daughters too according to that article while the women he assaulted were in their teens or early 20s! Should have had his taxi license revoked & imprisoned for at least 6 months.

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Foley
    Favourite Dermot Foley
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 2:30 PM

    @Sean Murphy: what exactly is your point. Whataboutery of the highest order. Was it just to mention the fact he’s from Pakistan?

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Has-an
    Favourite Has-an
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 2:30 PM

    @Sean Murphy: there is a big problem in Irish law Enforce.
    How he could let get out of it and permit to continue driving taxi?

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Murphy
    Favourite Sean Murphy
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 4:48 PM

    @Dermot Foley: Well my point was obvious to anyone with a room temperature IQ. Someone being mildly inconvenienced at an airport is much less newsworthy than a foreign taxi driver sexually assaulting Irish women and being allowed to continue drive taxis as long as the women sit in the back seat. They have since deleted my comment and finally reported on it.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 5:36 PM

    @Sean Murphy: question, wasn’t one of the women German? And also what the hell does it matter where the women are from?

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Plunkett
    Favourite Mark Plunkett
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 8:50 PM

    @Sean Murphy: just read that story what a joke,just make sure the girls sit in the back of the cab when you go out hunting again for the 4th time,some joke of a country we have become??

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rei
    Favourite Rei
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 10:32 PM

    @Sean Murphy: what does it matter where he’s from? It doesnt.
    It’s just an excuse for xenophobia. Plenty of Irish lads just as despicable.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoin O'C
    Favourite Eoin O'C
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:55 PM

    “If you love me, make some noise”

    Jesus, that’s some ego he’s got. Nothing like a bit of twitter-fuelled self-entitlement to get your way

    247
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jindrich Marz
    Favourite Jindrich Marz
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 3:18 PM

    @Eoin O’C: Not to get his way but to get the legal way.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Kennelly
    Favourite Conor Kennelly
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 3:36 PM

    @Eoin O’C: what’s your issue, he was only asking for what he was perfectly entitled to, the freedom to travel to this country for which he had the correct travel documents.

    29
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rei
    Favourite Rei
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 10:34 PM

    @Eoin O’C: I don’t see the problem. Companies react when they’re blasted on social media. Smart move really.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coco86
    Favourite Coco86
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:30 PM

    Human error…… Happens to us all

    114
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coco86
    Favourite Coco86
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:31 PM

    @Coco86: Plus Ryanair have resolved the situation. The only outrage here is the lengths people have to go through for decent customer service from Ryanair!

    117
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Corry
    Favourite Shane Corry
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:34 PM

    @Coco86: He posted it on Twitter, they replied in less than an hour, before the tweet had gotten popular and managed to resolve it while he kept tweeting swear words at them repeatedly https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1115906034814599168. I don’t get the issue here.

    117
    See 6 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neil Ryan
    Favourite Neil Ryan
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:38 PM

    @Shane Corry: He lost any sympathy as soon as he resorted to using foul language.

    81
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coco86
    Favourite Coco86
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:43 PM

    @Shane Corry: Fair enough, hadn’t seen tweets from him to Ryanair

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:21 PM

    @Shane Corry: where in that thread is it resolved? The guy once spent 26 days in an airport due to a similar issue. It’s understandable that he would be agitated.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 5:37 PM

    @Neil Ryan: yeah, fu(k him, he said a naughty word!

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neil Ryan
    Favourite Neil Ryan
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 5:41 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: Don’t get me wrong – I swear like a sailor! But as soon as you use it on a public forum, you lose the higher ground.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 11th 2019, 12:00 AM

    @Neil Ryan: no you don’t, they’re words. Obviously staff on the ground were completely unhelpful to say he needed to go online while already in the airport.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute GRANjzT
    Favourite GRANjzT
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:45 PM

    This man threw his toys out of the pram like some moody teenage boy and started f-ing and blinding at some poor Ryanair staff member online who was trying to resolve the issue. In spite of this, they still resolved his problem and put him on the next flight with compensation. He didn’t deserve to get on their flights at all after that public foul mouthed tirade.

    171
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Finn H. Schoyen
    Favourite Finn H. Schoyen
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:49 PM

    @GRANjzT: wouldn’t you be angry if something like this happened to you?

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coco86
    Favourite Coco86
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:54 PM

    @Finn H. Schoyen: Yes of course but do you think he handled the situation correctly?

    74
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Horan
    Favourite John Horan
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:59 PM

    @GRANjzT: maybe he is like the guy from the AIB story yesterday…the compensation only compounded the problem apparently

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Scott
    Favourite Alan Scott
    Report
    Aug 12th 2023, 7:54 AM

    @GRANjzT: I have seen a lot of foul mouthed words on Journal.ie over the years Journal mods done absolutely nothing about it.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute conor Murphy
    Favourite conor Murphy
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:13 PM

    The one thing I would love to know and it has little to do with this story and that is, what percentage of crimes are committed in this country by foreign nationalist ??

    58
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Karen Wellington
    Favourite Karen Wellington
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 2:17 PM

    @conor Murphy: it has nothing to do with this article. Maybe submit an FOI to Dept Justice

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rei
    Favourite Rei
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 10:36 PM

    @conor Murphy: why do you care? Seems plenty of Irish people commit lots of crimes abroad. Do you want those statistics too? Somehow I doubt it. You’re just looking for an excuse.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Candace
    Favourite Candace
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:54 PM

    Arab spring was a failure in the end, all it sprung was more misery.

    76
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nicky O'Donnell
    Favourite Nicky O'Donnell
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:35 PM

    No RyanAir. It was not your ‘handling agent’. They were your employees that you didn’t train properly, as per usual.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Noel Brennan
    Favourite Noel Brennan
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:33 PM

    I hope he won’t be waiting ten months for compensation from Ryanair, and won’t have to jump through hoops, like I was.

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Toomasu Sumitsu
    Favourite Toomasu Sumitsu
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:17 PM

    People that work in airports aren’t trained properly. Lufthansa staff stopped my girlfriend from boarding a flight to Dublin because they thought it was in the UK and she didn’t have a UK visa. Ryanair regularly stop Taiwanese travelling too because they think they have to follow the same procedures as the Chinese. Generally explaining geography and visa rules overcomes the issue.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mike Conway
    Favourite Mike Conway
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 3:36 PM

    He should have been kept out.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patricia Kiersey
    Favourite Patricia Kiersey
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 6:42 PM

    Iyad El Baghdadi is a well respected human rights campaigner. It is embarrassing that he had such an experience on his way to this country. How demeaning and frustrating it must have been, especially as all his paperwork as absolutely in order. No doubt he missed attending the meeting he was coming to participate in, since it looks as if there were no other flights until this evening from Berlin to Dublin. I welcome him here and I hope the rest of his stay will be fulfilling.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute PV Nevin
    Favourite PV Nevin
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 1:14 PM
    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Sheridan
    Favourite Niall Sheridan
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 12:40 PM

    Clowns

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Cronin
    Favourite Kieran Cronin
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 8:29 PM

    muslim brotherhood travelling to ireland for a meeting ?????

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Jordan
    Favourite David Jordan
    Report
    Apr 10th 2019, 8:41 PM

    @Kieran Cronin: Eh no, he’s a vocal critic of Hamas, who were established in 1987 by a group of Muslim Brotherhood activists.

    “So here’s me saying it again: Hamas is a destructive organization and its effect on the Palestinian struggle has been nothing short of a catastrophe.” – İyad el-Baghdadi

    https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1109886173537886208

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel