My Dundalk Life: ‘There’s a real sense of we are all in this together’

Teresa McCabe runs events in Dundalk Gaol. She is also a volunteer with Make A Wish Ireland

Tell us a bit about yourself

I'm from Kilkerley and I run gigs in The Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol and have brought artists such as Something Happens, Jack L, Mundy, Mary Coughlan, Tom Baxtor, Brian Kennedy, Cathy Davey and many more to this gorgeous venue.
I am also the general manager of Draíocht, an arts venue in Blanchardstown.

How long have you been running gigs in Dundalk Gaol?

Nearly four years but it doesn't feel like that at all as I am having an absolute ball bringing high profile performers to such a quirky venue and meeting fellow music lovers who come to all the gigs.

How did you get into running events in the gaol?

I went to see Jinx Lennon and TPM in the Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol a few years ago and I could not believe this tiny gem of a venue was on my doorstep!

The acoustics, the atmosphere, just everything about it was magical. I’ve been involved in organizing festivals and events throughout my career so that night as I was watching TPM perform ‘All The Boys On The Dole’ (which is a pure earworm of a song) I thought this venue would be perfect for some of the artists I’ve worked with in the past.

A couple of days later I got in touch with Kay Webster who manages the Oriel Centre to see if I could put some gigs on in the Gaol and thankfully she said yes straight away.

Paul McMahon who looks after sound on the night of the gigs is an absolute genius and he and the Oriel Centre team are part of the reason why the artists I approach to perform have no hesitation in saying yes.

The best event you ever attended or organised in Dundalk?

Last November I brought Something Happens to The Oriel Centre and I still can’t believe it happened. When the band rocked up to the Gaol they couldn’t get over it and decided the show they were going to put on was going to be a whole different beast to what they had planned.

They headed down town for something to eat and basically wrote Something Happens The Musical in the space of 50 minutes!

The gig documented their musical journey over the years with a bit of Madonna thrown in. The atmosphere that night was electric, the audience were on cloud nine and the band didn’t want to finish playing.

Everyone left the place beaming and none of us wanted the night to end. It was a very special night and will be hard to top.

What is your favourite thing about Dundalk?

I love the camaraderie amongst the people of Dundalk. There’s a real sense of we are all in this together so lets help each other out when we can.

Even something as simple as a business putting up a poster for one of my gigs can lead into a discussion about what other events I’ve planned and more often than not they will buy tickets for the event or recommend it to friend or family.

The lads in Leather Goods are especially great for this! On gig nights, when possible we always bring the artists down to the Wee House as the owners there treat them like royalty and make a point of welcoming the artist to Dundalk. They mightn’t realise how important a small gesture like this is but believe me, artists have commented on it when they get in touch later on.

Even the people from the town who come to the gigs are brilliant for saying thanks for organizing the gig and who’s coming next and who’s on the wish list.

They appreciate the music, the venue and the work that goes into putting it all together and I really appreciate their support as I know they work hard to be able to buy tickets for gigs and I in turn work my hardest to ensure they get value for money.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I spend my free time plotting my next gig! I’m also volunteer with Make A Wish Ireland and carry out wish visits in Co Louth in my free time.

It’s one of the best things I’ve ever got involved in as the wish visits with families are the best craic ever.
Make A Wish grant wishes to children with life threatening medical conditions. They receive no government funding so all wishes are funded through sponsorship and fundraising.

Their annual fundraising day is 13 March. Dundalk people have always been generous in their support each year so hopefully this year they will be just as supportive.

What do you think of the cultural scene in Dundalk

I think its brilliant as there’s a venue to suit everyone regardless of age or taste in the town.

Not only do we have the Spirit Store, An Tain Arts Centre and of course the Oriel Centre which have really put Dundalk on the map but you also have other venues like Toales who aren’t afraid to mix up their music offerings – from trad to rock to a bit of retro disco and The Bodhran which has become a bit of a rock metal heaven. No music snobbery whatsoever in this town, all tastes welcome!

I also love Bridge St Studios as it’s my go to place for buying gifts.
We also have a great county museum that I know I don't appreciate enough but I hope to change that throughout the year.

What would your perfect day in the local area be and why?

For my perfect day, myself and my husband Ciaran would head into town for breakfast in Riva as we love their full Irish followed up with a walk along the navvy bank or the Greenway to burn it all off and to also brainstorm about who we'd love to bring to Dundalk Gaol.

We are extremely lucky to have these two gorgeous walks in Louth and there’s nothing better than seeing whole families out for a walk together with not a phone or tablet glued to the eyeballs in sight.
Later that night we might into the cinema. Of course no night out is complete without a trip to Milanos or Europa!

How would you describe Dundalk people?

They are the best for a good slagging and heaven help anyone that gets any notions about themselves!

They are also the best for putting their hands in their pockets if anyone is in trouble or needs help which was notably demonstrated with the Zoe Murphy appeal and various fundraisers that have taken place over the years.
Again it’s that sense of we are all in this together.

Is there anything you think Dundalk is lacking or could do with more of?

Even though I don’t drink I love to socialize in the town at weekends. I would love to see an alcohol free pub similar to The Virgin Mary Bar (Capel St, Dublin) as there’s slim picking on the alcohol free menu in most pubs in the town.

I also love to see a club night that's pure funk, soul and disco; somewhere where it doesn't matter what you wear, what you look like or what age you are, all that matters is that you are there for the music and dancing and no way are you allowed to pose.
I think I have just described the Rugby Club!

What would you like to change about Dundalk?

The very poorly designed cycle lanes and junctions throughout the town which are a danger to cyclists and motorists.
Jocelyn Street and the Seatown area in particular are a disaster.

What annoys you about the town?

That there’s no plastic bottle recycling banks in the town and the recycling plant that we have on the Newry road is not promoted as it should be.

The council should have a full page ad in every local paper each week telling people what they can recycle for free so that people are aware this facility is available as you wouldn't know a thing about it unless you happened to drive past it.

They should drastically reduce the cost of taking old furniture/mattresses in as fly tipping is a scourge in Dundalk and it's environs.

What do you think of Dundalk Gaol as a music venue?

It’s the most amazing quirky venue ever.
If you fancy a venue that has housed patriots, paupers, volunteers, agitators, smugglers and petty thieves whilst witnessing secret weddings, executions and daring escapes then a gig in the Oriel Centre is a must!

Who has been your favourite artist to play at the gaol?

I only book artists that I really love to play at the Gaol so I honestly couldn’t say I have a favourite.

However one artist who performed in the Gaol that really stands out is Jerry Fish.
Jerry managed to convince every man, my father and husband included to waltz with each other on stage.
He had all the women standing in front of the stage looking up at this madness crying with laughter.

It was the night before the FAI Cup Final between Dundalk and Cork City so Marissa from Dundalk FM managed to get Jerry to start chanting his support for Dundalk – the walls of the gaol were bouncing with the cheers.

It was no surprise to anyone who was in the Gaol that night that Dundalk would be champions with all the positive vibes Jerry and the Gaol sent the team!

Who would your dream artist be that you would most like to see perform at the gaol?

My dream artist would be Kate Bush, can you just imagine listening to her singing Wuthering Heights in the Gaol.
Never say never!

What’s your first memory of Dundalk?

The first real stand memory for me was my mam bringing the family to see Santa Claus The Movie in the cinema at the Old Dundalk Shopping Centre and there being an interval!
It was my first visit to the cinema and it was so exciting, I didn’t want the film to end. No cinema visit has ever surpassed that first visit. I still love watching that film every Christmas.

What's your favourite story you've heard about Dundalk?

My favourite is about Noel Gallagher and the time he was roadie for Inspiral Carpets. Tom Hingley, lead singer with Inspiral Carpet said in his autobiography that on the way to a gig in Belfast that they stopped off in Dundalk to get tayto crisps in a garage that was beside a school.
At the time they were all over tv and when the children in the school spotted the lads in their bowl haircuts and psychedelic clothes, hundreds of them milled out and a very dirty game of football between the school children, Inspiral Carpets and Noel Gallagher ensued. Can you just imagine the craic!
Kay Webster is a great woman for telling ghost stories about the Gaol so I recommend you head up to her there some night so she can put the fear of god in you with her tales!