JJ Smyths, one of the last public houses in Dublin’s city centre where the family whose name appears above the door still reside upstairs, looks set to close its doors for the last time.
Rumours have been circulating for some months now that the Smyth family are to sell the Aungier St premises that, for the past 30 years, has been the unofficial home to Dublin’s jazz and blues scene.
Speaking for the family, Brian Smyth told The Irish Times that no deal has been finalised, but admitted that the legendary upstairs venue's programme of events will come to an end in the next week with what are sure to be emotional farewells from some of its most popular performers.
The house, at 12 Aungier St in the south of the city, has been a public house since the early 18th century, making it one of Dublin's longest continuous licenses. A plaque on the wall outside commemorates the birth there, in 1770, of poet and lyricist Thomas Moore, author of The Minstrel Boy and many other popular ballads, whose father ran a spirit grocers on the ground floor.
Many different names have appeared above the door since then, but the premises have remained the quintessential Dublin pub, an authentic relic of the “formica era”, popular with locals and street traders, including, according to the the bar’s website, Brendan Behan and his mother. In May 1980, north county Dublin farmer JJ Smyth acquired the license and posted his own name above the door.
JJs, as the corner pub is universally known, remained just another “local” until 1986, when guitarist Nigel Mooney, searching for a suitable venue for his Gripewater Blues Band, persuaded JJ to give him a three-week trial in the upstairs function room. At that time, the long, dark first-floor room was used for a weekly darts tournament and, unusually for the time, for an occasional lesbian disco. The room proved a perfect venue for live music and soon there was music seven nights a week.
Over the years, many important musicians have made JJs their home, notably the great jazz guitarist Louis Stewart, whose Monday-night residency was required listening for every other guitarist in the city. Stewart’s passing earlier this year was marked with a special open house on November 6th, when musicians and fans gathered at JJs to pay tribute.
JJ Smyths’ Thursday-night jazz session was another fixture on the city’s music calendar, featuring some of Ireland’s leading jazz performers, including pianist Noel Kelehan, drummer John Wadham and saxophonist Richie Buckley.
The venue has also been host to some very distinguished visitors over the years, including ex-Miles Davis saxophonist Dave Liebman, renowned guitarist Pat Martino and top New York drummer Keith Copeland. On such nights, JJs would be full to bursting with music fans savouring an atmosphere that was as close to that of a Manhattan jazz club as Dublin could offer.
It was also a venue to which many visiting musicians, playing elsewhere in the city, would gather. In recent years, such luminaries as Sting and The Corrs have eschewed the charms of the city centre’s more salubrious VIP haunts in favour of JJs.
Though no details have emerged about the bar’s new owners, it is expected that venue will close its doors later this month, leaving a gaping hole in the city’s music calendar. Dublin remains one of the few capitals in Europe without a dedicated jazz venue, and JJs served an important role in the development of that art form in Ireland.
The penultimate weekend at JJs will feature concerts from Nigel Mooney’s current band Organ Failure (Friday), Belfast bluesman Ronnie Greer (Saturday), and renowned Dublin saxophonist Richie Buckley and his quintet (Sunday). Those hoping to attend are advised to arrive early.
