26 Douglas St, Cork

Now that I’ve managed to hit middle age at a grand old 22, I have begun to yearn for the nostalgic days of the Cork gay scene, when the perfect night out involved guzzling alcopops in Loafers followed by a sprint to The Other Place club to get in before 11 o clock for free. Loafers provided a safe, welcoming place for me to come out, get drunk and make a tit out of myself aged 18. Friendships were formed, girls were flirted with, girls were gently let down, girls were not so gently let down, drinks were spilled, dances were danced, and everyone had their asses burned against the electric fire. With this in mind, I’ve decided to share the wonder of the homely comfort of Loafers and its inviting charm.

Firmly ensconced in an area affectionately known as “Lesboville” by those in the know, Loafers is a quaint local bar, which happens to be populated by gays. Its simple, cosy decor conjures the feeling of being in a local bar in a quiet town, and while generally frequented by an older, more lesbian crowd than the quasi nightclub Instinct, Loafers has proven itself to be both the perfect place for a quiet get together with old friends as well as a the ideal launch pad for a wild night. The pool table, with its efficient blackboard system of queuing (presumably to prevent some sort of Lesbopocalypse, should an upstart baby dyke attempt to skip the queue) offers up some of those genuinely hilarious drunken moments of pool bravado which lesbians are so prone to. The staff, to their credit, are friendly and approachable, with the real feeling of community and familiarity acting like an old pair of comfy pants on a Sunday night. As someone who doesn’t drink beer I can’t give a firsthand account of the quality of the pints, but I’ve been told they’re fairly mighty, and the prices are standard for Cork, with drink deals available on certain products and on certain evenings (see the bar’s Bebo for details). The beer garden provides a welcome breath of fresh air, or smoky air, depending on your perspective, and its welcoming benches and heat lamps allow for the enjoyment of year round outdoor drinking. If there was to be any criticisms of Loafers, it is that on occasion the feeling of community in the bar can make a newcomer feel like an outsider to the whole thing, but to be fair, that is hardly the fault of the owner or the staff, with manager Rena always doing her best to be a friendly face behind the bar and amongst the customers. Also, the music sometimes tends to wander from the homely to the downright erratic, with pumping dance remixes jarring somewhat with the cosy fire and couches in the corner.

Loafers has been the site of many great conversations and shenanigans during my formative years as a young wee baby dyke, and I’m happy to recommend it to anyone who’d like a nice quiet pint of a night, or as a starter before they move on to crazier venues.

021-497 5529

e-mail: loafers.cork@gmail.com

Bebo: www.bebo.com/loaferscork

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday: 5pm to close.

Saturday and Sunday: 2pm to close.