Seomra Spraoi ( en, Play Room) was a
self-managed social centre in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
, 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
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessari ...
principles.
Location
Seomra Spraoi was first located at Ormond Quay, then Mary's Abbey, then at 10 Belvedere Court, behind
Mountjoy Square
Mountjoy Square () is a Georgian garden square in Dublin, Ireland, on the Northside of the city just under a kilometre from the River Liffey. One of five Georgian squares in Dublin, it was planned and developed in the late 18th century by Luke G ...
.
It first opened in 2004 and closed in 2015.
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.
Fundraisers were held for groups such as Refugee and Migrant Solidarity Ireland, and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Queer Thing organised at the space and Auntie Underground Cinema screened anarchist films fortnightly.
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
A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very sma ...
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
Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different eut ...
group
Exit International in 2010.
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
Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, autho ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
groups.
Also in 2011, a series of planning meetings took place for what would become
Occupy Dame Street
Occupy Dame Street (ODS) or Occupy Dublin was a Nonviolent resistance, peaceful protest and Demonstration (people), demonstration against economic inequality, social injustice and corporate greed taking place outside the Central Bank of Ireland ...
.
During a 2014 International Squatters Convergence, there were entertainments at Seomra Spraoi.
Closure
Seomra Spraoi was forced to shut after a
Garda Síochána (police) raid which was followed by a visit from the
Dublin Fire Brigade.
Afterwards, some former participants developed it into a gig venue under the name Jigsaw,
which closed in April 2021.
The building was demolished in December 2022.
See also
*
Squatting in Ireland
References
External links
Seomra SpraoiArticle on Seomra Spraoi in 'What's This Place' Booklet
{{Infoshops
Self-managed social centers
Infoshops
Organisations based in Dublin (city)
2004 establishments in Ireland
2015 disestablishments in Ireland
Music venues in Dublin (city)
Zines
Anarchism in Ireland
Anarchist collectives
Demolished buildings and structures in Dublin
Buildings and structures demolished in 2022