'The Catacombs' was a night club that operated from the basement of 13 Fitzwilliam Place, in the centre of Dublin, in the late 1940's.

'The Catacombs' was founded by Dickie Wyman - an Englishman who moved to Dublin following the death of his boyfriend during World War Two. He opened a basement club in the flat he rented and made his money from returning empty beer bottles the next morning.

The Catacombs attracted a bohemian crowd. A number of young aspiring writers such as Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh, JP Donleavy and Anthony Cronin were regulars. The Catacombs featured in JP Donleavy's novel 'The Gingerman.'

Following the emergency, in the era of Archbishop McQuaid, anything went in 'The Catacombs'. There was heavy drinking, discussions, debates and fights.

Myth and legend now surrounds the dingy basement flat spread by the likes of Brendan Behan, who said that 'The Catacombs' was a place where "men had women, men had men and women had women".

'The Catacombs', the building, now stands as a testament to the times and the people that frequented the basement flat.

Its story - is a snapshot about being young and talented in Dublin of the 1940's.

It's about the excitement of youth. It describes a special time in the history of the capital, through the eyes of its participants.

In this documentary, four former patrons are brought back to 'The Catacombs' original site. The four are the author JP Donleavy, Steve Willoughby, Joan De Frenay and Shelia Bradshaw .

The last time they had walked down the narrow stairs and entered the basement was sixty years ago. When they were young and this basement flat was 'The Catacombs.'

Compiled and presented by Ciaran Cassidy.

Production supervision by Peter Woods.

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries