Seomra Spraoi
{{short description|Former self-managed social centre in Dublin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Seomra Spraoi
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = Ga
| logo = Seomra Spraoi logo.png
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| classification = Self-managed social centre
| location =
| address = 10 Belvedere Court, Dublin 1
| location_city = Dublin
| location_country = Ireland
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| opened_date = 2004
| closing_date = 2015
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| floor_count = 2
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| website = {{url|https://seomraspraoi.org/}}
}}
Seomra Spraoi ({{langx|en|Play Room}}) was a self-managed social centre in Dublin, Ireland which first opened in 2004 and closed in 2015. It was run on a not-for-profit basis by an anti-capitalist collective with anarchist principles. {{cite journal |last1=Hamel |first1=Leigh Ann |last2=Maher |first2=Tom |last3=O'Dwyer |first3=Mick |last4=Cook |first4=Eric |title=Organizing Anarchy: The Forgotten Zine Archive |journal=IConference 2014 Proceedings |date=1 March 2014 |pages=1013–1016 |doi=10.9776/14350 |hdl=2142/47389 |isbn=978-0-9884900-1-7 |language=english|doi-access=free }}{{cite news |last=Mullally |first=Una |date=27 April 2013 |title=In freewheeling Dublin collective Seomra Spraoi, the personable is political |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/in-freewheeling-dublin-collective-seomra-spraoi-the-personable-is-political-1.1374410 |newspaper=Irish Times |location=Ireland |access-date=9 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617235727/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/in-freewheeling-dublin-collective-seomra-spraoi-the-personable-is-political-1.1374410 |archive-date=17 June 2013 |url-status=live }}
Location
Seomra Spraoi was first located at Ormond Quay, then Mary's Abbey, then at 10 Belvedere Court, behind Mountjoy Square.{{cite news |url=http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20061231154403591 |work=Infoshop News |publisher=Infoshop.org |title=Dublin gets new radical centre |date=December 31, 2006 |access-date=October 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726114719/http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20061231154403591 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=live }} It first opened in 2004 and closed in 2015.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2007/0922/1190324469328.html |work=Irish Times |date=September 2007 |title=Spraoi's company |last=Mooney |first=Sinead |access-date=2009-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029111843/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2007/0922/1190324469328.html |archive-date=2010-10-29 |url-status=live }}
Events
Located at Belvedere Court, the building had two floors and a garden. There was a kitchen, a cinema, a computer, a library, a free shop and meeting spaces. Seomra Spraoi hosted a number of regular events such as a vegan cafe, bicycle repair workshop, gigs, free cinema and art exhibitions.{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Anna Sheswell |title=Mountjoy Square sparks Notting Hill-style revival |url=https://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/homes/mountjoy-square-sparks-notting-hill-style-revival-30616097.html |access-date=10 May 2020 |work=Irish Independent |date=25 September 2014 |location=Dublin |language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://posterfishpromotions.com/seomra-spraoi/|title=Seomra Spraoi|date=2016-07-30|work=Poster Fish Promotions|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629155401/http://posterfishpromotions.com/seomra-spraoi/|archive-date=2018-06-29|url-status=live}} Fundraisers were held for groups such as Refugee and Migrant Solidarity Ireland, and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=James |title=Fighting for Justice at Home and Abroad: Students for Justice in Palestine |url=http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/02/fighting-for-justice-at-home-and-abroad-students-for-justice-in-palestine/ |access-date=10 May 2020 |work=www.universitytimes.ie |date=21 February 2017 |location=Ireland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101192455/http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/02/fighting-for-justice-at-home-and-abroad-students-for-justice-in-palestine/ |archive-date=1 January 2018 |url-status=live }} Queer Thing organised at the space and Auntie Underground Cinema screened anarchist films fortnightly.{{cite journal |last1=Leahy |first1=Eileen |title=Beyond the Multiplex: Contemporary Trends in Film Exhibition in Dublin |journal=Estudios Irlandeses |date=2013 |issue=8 |pages=216–219 |doi=10.24162/ei |language=es|doi-access=free |hdl=10379/6584 |hdl-access=free }}
Other events included anti-authoritarian parent and child groups, anarcha-feminist meetings and a table-tennis club. From 2005 onwards, Seomra Spraoi hosted the Forgotten Zine archive, created in 2004 by Ciarán Walsh. It contained around 1,200 zines from both Irish and foreign authors. The archive was open access and volunteers catalogued the zines on LibraryThing into four broad categories namely: Artistic & Creative; Music; Political and Social; Resources.
The project hosted a public talk by Philip Nitschke, founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International in 2010.{{cite news |last1=Gleeson |first1=Colin |title='Doctor Death' to stage more suicide seminars |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/doctor-death-to-stage-more-suicide-seminars-26642483.html |access-date=10 May 2020 |work=Independent |date=20 March 2010 |location=Dublin |language=en}} In February 2011, Seomra Spraoi provided a venue for Nitschke again, after several other venues cancelled on short notice due to pressure from right-wing Christian groups.{{cite news|url=http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98985 |title=Seomra Spraoi provides venue for assisted suicide workshop |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308194307/http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98985 |archive-date=March 8, 2011 }} Also in 2011, a series of planning meetings took place for what would become Occupy Dame Street.{{cite journal |last1=Kiersey |first1=Nicholas |title=Occupy Dame Street as slow-motion general strike? Justifying optimism in the wake of Ireland's failed multitudinal moment |journal=Global Discourse |date=July 2014 |volume=4 |issue=2–3 |pages=141–158 |doi=10.1080/23269995.2014.898530 |language=en}} During a 2014 International Squatters Convergence, there were entertainments at Seomra Spraoi.{{cite news |last1=Creed |first1=Barry |title=Squatters from around the world gather in Dublin |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/squatters-from-around-the-world-gather-in-dublin-1.1942878 |access-date=10 May 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=26 September 2014 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811231604/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/squatters-from-around-the-world-gather-in-dublin-1.1942878 |archive-date=11 August 2015 |url-status=live }}
Closure
Seomra Spraoi was forced to shut after a Garda Síochána (police) raid which was followed by a visit from the Dublin Fire Brigade.{{cite journal |last1=Lawton |first1=P. |last2=O’Callaghan |first2=C. |title=Temporary solutions? Vacant space policy and strategies for re-use in Dublin |journal=Irish Geography |date=2015 |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=69–87 |url=http://www.irishgeography.ie/index.php/irishgeography/article/view/526/439 |access-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802235051/http://irishgeography.ie/index.php/irishgeography/article/view/526/439 |archive-date=2 August 2019 |url-status=dead |hdl=2262/81805}} Afterwards, some former participants developed it into a gig venue under the name Jigsaw, which closed in April 2021.https://nialler9.com/dublin-cultural-space-jigsaw-has-closed-the-city-needs-spaces-like-it/, 27 April 2021
The building was demolished in December 2022.{{Cite web |title=Seomra Spraoi is gone. Bye bye Seomra... |url=https://twitter.com/posterfishpromo/status/1608887487249907713 |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=Twitter |language=en}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.seomraspraoi.org/ Seomra Spraoi]
- [http://socialcentrestories.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/the-seomra-spraoi-social-centre-dublin/ Article on Seomra Spraoi in 'What's This Place' Booklet]
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{{Infoshops}}
Category:Self-managed social centers
Category:Counterculture communities
Category:Organisations based in Dublin (city)
Category:2004 establishments in Ireland
Category:2015 disestablishments in Ireland
Category:Music venues in Dublin (city)
Category:Anarchist collectives
Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Dublin