Nightclub numbers in Ireland have dwindled in the past 25 years - do they have a future in Ireland?

At the turn of the century, Ireland was home to 522 nightclubs and now there are just 80.

Nine counties in Ireland have just one nightclub while Kilkenny has none.

On Moncrieff, former nightclub owner Robbie Fox said nightclubs are dwindling for a variety of reasons.

"There were 522 nightclubs at the turn of the century but the vast majority of them have been replaced by late bars," he said.

"A nightclub was a place to go when you couldn’t get drink because the pubs closed at 11.30pm.

"Now the pubs don’t close until 2.30am - so you don’t go to nightclubs."

Mr Fox said he believes there is a "cohort of people" in Ireland who would like to see a resurgence of nightclubs.

"There's room for a couple in the city - certainly for tourists and the young crowd that go out and dance - but I'm not sure that we're going to see 520 nightclubs back again."

Costs

Mr Fox said keeping a nightclub open until 6am comes with a number of operational costs.

"Who pays for the doorman and the DJ and the bar staff?" he said.

"Unless people are willing to pay a substantial amount on admission, I would feel it's a very hard as a business to make it work."

Mr Fox also believes the culture around how people meet has changed, which may be a factor in the dwindling nightclub numbers.

"Nightclubs back in my day were places where people met people," he said.

"That doesn't happen any more - it's all online now."

Give Us The Night, a group campaigning for a more "vibrant nighttime economy in Ireland" has called for a "complete rethink" of Ireland's licensing laws.

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Feature image shows a dance floor at a nightclub, Alamy.