Hope this one hasn't been done before, but can't see anywhere.

Can anyone remember their last time at the Grove (bar reunions!).

Did you just not happen to go again, or was their a definitive this is my last time type occasion?

any specific memories?

Wondering if you ever did the Sunday Night Mins.

In our later years after we had given up the Saturday nights, we went on Sundays for a good while after, just the lads. Few beers in town and out for about 11 pm.

Can't remember the last ever time, would have been in and around October - November,1985 ( yeah, I know, I was 21 ).

As I remember it,sunday nights were totally different to Saturdays.

Much smaller and older crowd went and in our time 83 - 85 ( after we letf school and went to College ) it was just about hanging round chatting and having a laugh with your mates.

If memory serves (and it rarely does), I went back for a "one last" just after finishing the leaving in June 1989. Three of us met up, myself and an alcove mate plus a very good mate (but not one I hung around with at the grove - he wasn't an alcove type).

Funny that, a good mate that went Groving but that I didn't hang around with - talk about dividing u plife. I'll hand around with you in school, but we'll ignore each other at the Grove!!!!

Having only ever once before drunk before the grove, we went the whole hog and bought cans - can't only ever knacker drink once! Four cans each, Harp for me. The "experienced" drinker was still ony finishing up the third can as myself and my mate clobbered our fourth. and he was well oiled - we couln't believe it.

there was some commotion from a house (someone threatening to ring the guards because of some other crowd of young lads drinking cans) and we were torn between legging it for the buzz and standing our ground given that we were now legal!

Got in early to make the most of it - we must have started drinking at about half seven in full daylight. Don't remember anything different once we went inside - it was just the usual, really good fun, but less and less of the old crowd as you pushed on a bit.

When I went to college, there was a good few of us former grovers. We talked about it so much (plus ca change!) that we made tentative plans to bring a crowd back but it never got going. The missus has reminded me about that - we obviously banged on about it a good deal!

Good Topic Whippersnapper !

I remember just not going for a while and then went back and it wasn't the same. Last night I went was an Easter and I remember leaving early with a real sense of end of an era. I'd had a ball for 3 years, but it was definitely time to move on. Quite simply put, nights out were never quite the same. Until a certain reunion recently !

Dont really remember my final grove but it was a wrench to eventually leave (late 80s).  Most of the crowd would have been a good bit younger than me by then but I just couldnt bring myself to give up.  Eventually, loathed as I was to admit it, I just felt too old for the place and reluctantly stopped going down..

Bluebell wrote: Yeah Rolo just like you we started going on a Sunday night cos the crowd was older, but then slowly all our friends stopped going or we'd get invited somewhere else, that sold alcohol!!.....after all we were about 19yrs at the time so off we went with our happy memories.  Think we stopped going around early '84.

Same as above really gang I went with started trailing off once we were legal wanted to go somewhere they served alcohol so happened over period of time.

have to say going back to my first reunion was just class loved it right from min stepped into the sheiling

By the time we moved on we were going to the Cricket and then on the off week we went to the grove.  Most of the crowd who went during the time I went moved onto the cricket or up the summit so you gravitated the same way really.  I suppose that was somewhere around 83/84.  I think we popped down on the odd Sunday but some of the friends got serious with the lads they met there so I suppose we were all going in different directions.

Nice topic 'Snapper...

I have an awful feeling my last night there I left early. We were all going in different directions (away from the Grove) ie different pubs in town etc and I think I went down one night at about 11:00ish as there was no one really in the nep and when I got to the Grove there was no-one really there either (wouldn't want to be paranoid...) so I think I left about 12:00ish!

Had I have known that was going to be my last time I would have marked it in some way.

Like going up to Cecil and saying 'I've always loved you...'

Bluebell wrote: Hey Martin....it's never too late to tell Cecil that you love him.....glad you finally came out of the closet

Nice one Bluebell.

Great stories guys - the principled stand of roundie has me in stitches. How long before you regretted that action, eh?

Lot of talk of sundays...I'm trying to remember whether they were still going in my time and whether I went.

When did they stop (still going in 85 to 89?)

Were they all year round or just summer events? This sort of rings bells.

Because, my memory of Sundays in the gym was basketball with Fr Lyne (Nick). Bit bizarre that - less than 24 hours after the carnage we were playing "skins" and "shirts". And then up to the pool for a quick (skinny) dip. Great end to the weekend.

Didn't we go on Wednesdays too during the summer?

I'm sure I'm not imagining that.

I do remember a total of 7 of us there one night...

7! so all Grove nights weren't perfect after all????

Not a Grove story, but I remember the night Ireland beat Italy in the Giants Stadium in New York during the 1994 world cup. There was a barman's strike, so it was difficult to find a venue to watch over a few pints.

A friend knew people in the Howth Lodge and we got invited to a ticketed private do. Great fun, but the crowd were a touch old.

Brainwave time - let's get out to Tamango's early - everyone will have been drinking cans and mad for a night out.

We were probably 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th into the club and I'm not sure anyone else arrived. Puts a dampener on things when you're all alone like that....

Hi Whippersnapper.

I remember that barmans strike. I was horrified I would miss the game in a pub. Went all the way down to Cork cos a friend of mine owned a hotel in Blarney. Crowd of us from all around Ireland went. Turned out to be an excellent weekend.

Sorry it's not a grove story and I was the only one from the grove there!!!

Either devoted or demented...

Mind you,we check in here most days so that's saying something for us...exactly what it's saying I'm not sure...

It was a solitary example...I remember Wednesdays (and Sundays) were good nights to go...none of the 'crap' that had to be dealt with which sometimes went on on Saturdays.

In my earlier days I would beg and plead with my Dad to let me go on a Wednesday. He'd agree,but then I couldn't go on Saturday. Saturday would come and I'd plead again for that night and he MIGHT let me go too then if i was lucky. Of course I'd plead again on Sunday but that was pushing it.

Pleading nuisance.

Are there any members who went on the very last night???

What was it like?

Tell the stories...