The traditional music mecca, The Cobblestone, is the focus of the emotional documentary, Athbhaile - The Cobblestone, which airs on RTÉ on Thursday May 15th - watch it here.
The family run business became the centre of media attention when thousands took to the streets of the capital to fight a planning application for a 9-storey hotel, which, if successful, would have threatened the very existence of what the Cobblestone had become.
Below, teacher, singer and musician Méabh Mulligan, youngest daughter of owner Tom Mulligan, tells us exactly why The Cobblestone matters.
Since the first airing of Athbhaile back in November 2022, the response to the programme has been immensely positive and humbling. The support we have received really validated the work that our Dad, Tom, has done for the Irish music community and culture throughout his years there.
Tom has nurtured the pub, from an early-house 30 years ago, to a central hub of music and culture in Dublin, and is one of the only pubs in Dublin that you can find multiple sessions everyday of the week, with other activities taking place in the Backroom venue; gigs, group music classes, sean-nós dancing and singing classes, singing sessions, céilithe and even more recently, pilates!
We always knew that the Cobblestone was more than just a pub. It was a place where we engaged with our culture, through music, dance, song and the Irish language and a place where we built lasting friendships. Many musicians and singers, including some of our good friends, developed their music and used the space to practise in the pub and have gone on to make successful careers for themselves . Their gratitude to our Dad was made apparent during the campaign to save the pub.
Since Athbhaile was aired the support continues on. Our dad Tom, has received many letters to the pub, including a lovely handwritten letter from Christy Moore, recalling his memories in the upstairs and Backroom venue of the pub, and wishing us well with everything in the future. We have people coming up to us regularly telling us they have seen the 'heart-warming' documentary and congratulations on the successful campaign. They also always ask ‘What’s next for the Cobblestone?’, which is, unfortunately, still an uncertainty for the pub.
For us, it was a classic case of ‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone’, and I think that resonated with a lot of people after seeing the programme; past customers and even new customers, who have since come in to see the music and have a pint, ‘just incase’ the pub isn’t there in years to come.
I know that nothing lasts forever, and in a rapidly changing city, the Cobblestone may not be standing at the top of Smithfield Square, surrounded by the modern, high-rise buildings. That day to me will be the day that Dublin's heart stops beating. However, in the meantime, I have learned to cherish what I have while it's still here, and I will continue to play music in the Cobblestone and appreciate it wholly, until its doors close for the last time.
After making the programme, Sinéad Ní Churnáin and Micheal McCormack told us that Athbhaile was like a ‘love letter’ to the Cobblestone, and I think they achieved just that.
ATHBHAILE – THE COBBLESTONE (A home away from home), RTÉ ONE, Thursday 25th May at 10.15pm
