7 October 2017
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
City Centre Business News
Cork’s legendary record store set to reopen this month
Cork’s much-loved record shop Plugd, originally founded by Jim Horgan back in 2001, will be reopening for business upstairs at The Roundy, Castle Street, this month.
Jim said: “It has been great working with Emma and Frank in the Roundy these last months. We have big plans for the space and we are excited about collaborating with Cork’s creative community to make great things happen. Upstairs at the Roundy will function as a record and print store, café, gallery, and event space, four days a week; and we’ll be developing new ideas along the way. I’m really looking forward to having Plugd back in action and welcoming back friends and familiar faces.”
Since first opening on Washington Street some sixteen years ago, Horgan’s emporium has been an intrinsic part of Cork’s music community. Plugd Records, and its sister café Gulpd, had both operated out of the Triskel Arts Centre for the past six years, hosting regular concerts and events with local and international artists and musicians, until the premises’ closure in June.
Following meetings with The Roundy’s promoter Emma Kelly (Merakindie) and owner Frank Bradley, Plugd has found a new home, and will be back selling vinyl as well as expanding into independent publications and limited prints. In addition to this, Jim will be working with Emma in programming events in The Roundy. The space will also host exhibitions curated by Izabela Szczutkowska and Mick O’Shea.
Plugd’s new home Upstairs at The Roundy will be open from Saturday October 13th. To celebrate the official relaunch, Emma and Jim have a programmed a weekender of events featuring Lakerama, Outsider YP, Robedoor, ooSe, HEX and Gadget & The Cloud.
Emma commented: “I’m delighted to be working with Jimmy, big respect for what he created in Gulpd & Plugd, it became such an important place for a lot of people, so we’re both very happy to be bringing that space to a new home. Frank (who runs the Roundy) has been fantastic. His open mindedness, support and enthusiasm has been so important in making this happen, everything is coming together really well. We want this to be a place where everybody feels comfortable coming into, we’ve got great gigs lined up for the next couple of months, with an eclectic mix of genres.”
Following several recent closures and relocations of artistic spaces in Cork there has been a lot of discussion about the lack of available cultural venues in the city. Plugd’s relaunch will go some way towards filling that void.
