Former nightclub in Dublin
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]
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]
Christopher and Dave Egan, brothers, 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
As of 2019, a music venue called Lost Lane 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
^ "Nightlives of the rich & famous" . independent .
^ a b Courtney, Kevin. "Goodnight Lillie's Bordello: A Roaring Nineties party before the financial fall" . The Irish Times .
^ "Lillie's Bordello, late-night haunt of Ireland's glitterati, seeks new" . The Independent . 9 October 2011.
^ Megabites, Tom Doorley's (14 May 2012). "Megabites: Dublin in the rare oul' times..."
^ The Irish Times (Thursday, December 19, 1991), page 9.
^ "Sad split for fashion queen and former nightclub king" . independent .
^ "Lillie's nightclub damaged during restaurant blaze" . independent .
^ Dodd, Eimear (1 December 2018). "Former Lillie's Bordello manager says club's closure is 'end of an era' " . DublinLive .
^ a b 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 .
^ "Clubs purge fear frightens bidders off Lillies" . independent .
^ "Lillie's Bordello hosting a HUGE goodbye bash this weekend" . Goss.ie . 18 January 2019.
^ O'Connor, Amy. "Lillie's Bordello closes: 'I've nowhere to go now... This is my sanctuary' " . The Irish Times .
^ 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 .
^ Pope, Conor. "Boomtime hangout Lillie's Bordello to shut in new year" . The Irish Times .
^ Hussey, Daniel (13 December 2020). "Richie Sadlier on his first Ireland training session where most of the team was hungover" .
^ Parker, Jennifer (23 October 2014). McBusted: The Story of the World's Biggest Super Band . Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781471140679 – via Google Books.
^ "From doorman at Lillie's to one of the biggest Irish exports in American entertainment - meet Stephen 'Sheamus' Farrelly" . independent .
^ "New album is atribute [sic] to his family says Paul" . independent .
^ "First glimpse inside new music venue Lost Lane which will replace iconic Lillie's Bordello" . independent .
^ "Ragtime Annie (Lillie's Bordello) — Ron Wood" . Last.fm .
^ Gorman, Clare (1 June 2015). The Undecidable: Jacques Derrida and Paul Howard . Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 9781443883597 – via Google Books.
^ Hamill, Denis (6 January 2000). Fork in the Road . Pocket Books. ISBN 9780671016739 – via Google Books.