Dublin was buzzing this week with word that Taylor Swift, and her whole entourage, in the company of Stevie Nicks, Paramore and current beau Travis Kelce, had decamped to one of the city’s best loved bars following a trilogy of sold out shows at the Aviva over the weekend.
The morning after the night before, in a post on their Facebook page, the bar in question confirmed that the very special guests had partied late into the night at The Hacienda, in Little Mary Street, a go-to haunt beloved of late night party-goers in the city over the years.
In honour of the occasion, we look back on our interview with Shay during the height of Covid Lockdown in October 2020, as he kept everyone’s spirits up with his promise that he’d be back…
Shay, from the Hacienda, is easily one of our favourite proprietors of one of our favourite bars in the city.
For those who have buzzed and been accepted, they’ll be well-versed in the flair and eccentricity which makes the man and the place utterly unique and adored.
He’s been in the game for 30-odd years and is fortunate to know that he’d be ok (financially) if he stayed closed for another 20. As anyone who has been there knows, the Hacienda has always been much more than the ching of the till. He’s restocked kegs three times and is holding off in future until proper green light announcements.
In limbo, Shay’s been busying himself training with “muscles to beat the band” as well as starting on penning his life story.
No doubt he’s also eyeing up his ‘Wall of Fame’ to see who’ll have to make room for future visiting stars alongside the likes of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Beckinsale.
His message to the regulars is, “Hang on, we’ll definitely be back!”
15 Little Mary Street, Dublin 1
