Were You At Cabana’s Opening Night…?

p to that point, the groovy movers and shakers of Greystones had to settle for the odd flashing Garda light and 50-watt disco set-up at The Rugby Club for their disco kicks…

On Friday, July 8th, 1983 though, all that changed, when the nightclub arrived in Greystones, in the comely shape of Cabana’s.

It only took six years after the breakthrough of Saturday Night Fever, and the explosion of disco all around the world, for Greystones to finally catch up with the new dancefloor craze.

And we caught up with a passion – as yesterday’s frankly shocking photographs of carnal Cabana’s pleasure revealed.

After Cabana’s came Lautrex, Club Life and, eh, that’s about it. But still, we got a good two decades of dirty dancing in before the sound system plug was pulled on the town. There was just that short-lived, ill-fated return at the Greystones Theatre, a disco inferno that pretty much ensured that we will never see their like again.

Belinda Stokes

Trawling through the Bray People archives on Tuesday afternoon, GG was excited and delighted to happen upon their photos of that big night. Even better, we found the oul’ sales pitch to the people of the town on the big day.

Apparently, Cabana’s was about to offer us a taste of de tropics. 

Noice.

Geralyn Aspell

We’ve tidied up the Bray People pics of the beautiful people who made it along to that big opening night here, and below, we’re reproduced that enticing pitch that sent us home sweatin’ and snoggin’ for many a fine, half-upstanding, half-remembered year…

Once again, as with last week’s Beach House pitch, your best Alan Partridge voice is called for here…

Eimear Martin

NIGHTLIFE in the Wicklow area will never be the same again following the Gala Opening of Cabana’s niteclub at the Woodlands Hotel in Greystones tonight.

The opening promises to be one of the most exciting developments on the local entertainment scene for some time, with Cabana’s all set to put nightclubbing on the map in Wicklow.

As the name suggests, Cabana’s will provide customers with a carefully constructed tropical atmosphere in which to dance the night away.
The new management have spared no expense in setting up, furnishing, decorating and equipping the new niteclub, and it is their proud boast that it will rapidly establish itself as the leading nightclub in the East coast.

The Woodland’s Hotel provides a perfect setting for Cabana’s, which has been built in the hotel’s Winter Garden.

Greystones’ attractive seaside location combined with the secluded wooded grounds of the Woodands Hotel add to the “tropical feel” of the new club. 
As the promoters put it, Cabana’s is very definitely out to capture the spirit of Casablanca and other such films.

Kathy Sharry

They also feel that Cabana’s will be an important development in Bray and North Wicklow in terms of the growing population of the area.
At present, they feel there are very few top quality nightspots to cater for this large market, and it is their aim to fill this gap.

To ensure that anyone visiting Cabana’s will have a night to remember, considerable time and effort has gone into renovation and redecoration.
The latest in nightclub technology has been employed to provide Cabana’s with a first-rate sound and lighting system, while an air-conditioning of the highest stand has been installed.

Nuala Kiely

One item of particular note about the sound system is that it has been carefully designed to beam sound onto the spacious dance floor and away from the comfortable dining area. This will ensure that making conversation while not actually dancing will not be an impossible task, as is so often the case in nightclubs and discotheques.
The lighting too has been carefully designed and installed so that it will be spectacular and colourful but not glaring and distressing.

For those who like their dancing, Cabana’s will be a must, for a large dance area has been built to cater for everything from the minuet to rock and roll.
There is also a prominent and accessible stage and cabaret area where top DJs and artists will be performing. Particular care has been taken so that the DJs can be easily approached for requests by visitors to Cabana’s.

Peppi Daly

There is also a tastefully decorated and relaxed dining area where patrons can come in and enjoy their meal, while Cabana’s is also provided with an attractive and roomy bar area.

The niteclub is fully licensed and has a bar extension.
A friendly and helpful staff will look after customers, and a feature to note here is the presence of attendants to look after vehicles parked in the ample car park.

Neat dress is essential at Cabana’s and admission is Over 21s only.

So, why not come along tonight or on any open night at Cabana’s, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 10.30pm to 2am, to have a look at the new nightspot which will soon have them all talking.
Gala Opening night is tonight at 10.30pm.

We were silly putty in their hands. You can check out those 1990s Cabana’s nights here, as well as some Rugby Club shenanigans here, and the new breed digging the Teen Life here.

If you have any Greystones nightlife shots of Cabana’s – Where Parasites Are Found – Club Life, Lautrex and all the rest, send ’em into info@greystonesguide.ie. If needed, we can black out the eyes. And other body parts too.