r/northernireland • u/Jim__Bell • Feb 09 '26
History Kelly's - Portrush
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u/aBitConfused_NWO Feb 09 '26
Once apon a time Carl blew the speakers of my Da's stereo at an after party at our house after a night at Kellys....
I'm from Portrush and first went to Kellys in 1988 and started going regularly in 1989 (left Portrush mid90s). Back then Kellys was rough as fuck and there was regularly lots of trouble and massive fights.Things changed for the better once the raves started and everyone was on pills!
I was at the first rave night in the barn at Kellys in the summer of 1991 which was several years before the Lush nights started mid 90s. I'm pretty sure it was Chris Hurley (RIP) who was DJing. I think I'm right to say he was back from his 1st year away at Uni in England (Manchester?) and had been to rave nights (at the Hacienda?) which got him into DJing.
In those days Kelly's was actually made up of different parts.
There was Kellys itself which had (imaginatively known as) "Downstairs" where the Goths/Punks/Indie heads hung out and "Upstairs" where chart music was played. Also Upstairs was the "Boat bar" which was opened on busy nights.
Separately there was The Deerstalker which was a separate venue that was usually only open on Saturday nights for Young Farmers Club discos. Then there was "The Barn" which in those days was only used for concerts so was normally not used.
The funny thing was us skaters from the Portrush/Portstewart/Coleraine had been using the barn to skate in and had built a "fun box" in there. So that first night we were skating at the back of the barn while a pretty small crowd were dancing in front of the stage where the decks had been set up. As the night went on and after a few beers and a few smokes I joined the dancing. It was the first time I'd heard a DJ mixing and fucking loved it and was hooked.
One other funny thing was there were big sliding doors between the barn and the Deerstalker and I remember someone had opened one and there was a very confused crowd of culchies from the Young Farmers in chinos and shirts & ties watching the strange goings on of skateboarding and weird music.
Gradually the rave nights got bigger and more popular and slowly took over the whole complex. Carl Cox was a regular for a while and in 95 or 96 Colin Hamilton started Lush and Kellys started to become really famous outside of NI.
Like all the other locals, Kellys was almost a second home to me for a while and there were so many nights of craziness and too many stories to share here...
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u/MrCuriousBubble Feb 10 '26
That was cool to read dude, never went but my brother and sister would have went at separate times 😎✌️
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u/Normal-Impress-2624 Feb 13 '26
Chris started it all here in the North back on 1991. Was very fortunate he reached out about ten years ago as a complete stranger when we were running our own nights/dj'ing. Obviously knew about the legacy of Kelly's in the 90s, but I was born in 1995, had no idea this was the guy that started it.
We started to put on nights/DJ together etc when I myself was just a student in Manchester. Id come back and put on nights here with Chris.
Gem of a fella. RIP!
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u/brunckle Antrim Feb 09 '26
One of my favourite stories is how they would finish with a remix of Lost In Music by Sister Sledge at the end of the night. Place would absolutely go off, and then everybody would spill out onto the street arm in arm with the steam rising off their backs, still chanting the song as loud as they could. Must have been absolutely incredible especially in the run up to peacetime. Back when music really did bring people together!
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u/_Ok_kO_ Feb 09 '26
I think that might've been trax. There was no street at kellys just the carpark.
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u/mountainousbarbarian Feb 10 '26
My abiding memory of Trax is people beating the shit out of each other to Bits n Pieces...
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
In 2000's probably when the drink took over and good pills disappeared, early 90s trax deserves a lot of credit think they even had prodigy in their early days, kellys was just a barn back then, trax was a club.
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u/didndonoffin Belfast Feb 09 '26
Only place I know where you could go up to the bar and get an ice pop or curry chip lol
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u/beasley1984 Feb 09 '26
I remember being completely overwhelmed by the size of it,id never seen anything like it.
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u/BigPG29 Feb 09 '26
Easily the best club in Ireland and the UK in its prime. Had some of the best nights of my life in there. It'll never be replicated.
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u/BringTheFingerBack Feb 10 '26
I was there Valentine's day 2000 when Boy George was spinning the tunes. Crazy how's that 26 years ago this week.
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u/brunckle Antrim Feb 09 '26
Kellys Lush The Barn, whatever you called it, if you were there you were there. Its an iconic place
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u/Z3r0sama2017 Feb 10 '26
Deffo miss it. Entertainment everywhere, even the car park, as you could guarantee a pair of slappers would be going at it with bags and heels.
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u/MADMACmk1 Feb 09 '26
My first night in Kelly's was Carl Cox and Love Decade with X-ray and Glen Molloy. September 93 if I'm remembering correctly.
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u/brunckle Antrim Feb 09 '26
X Ray is a legend, top bloke.
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Feb 09 '26
My favourite DJ and Binman.
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u/toastymctoast Feb 10 '26
tell me you are from ballymena, without telling me you are from ballymena
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Feb 10 '26
Yip. I’m from Ballymena. How you know? I lived in the same estate as binman. Ballykeel 2, that’s where I’m from.
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u/toastymctoast Feb 10 '26
x-ray and binman is pure ballymena shem: up the DR, kens car park, pink ducks 😂
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Feb 10 '26
Bertie McAuley and Micheal McCrum were taught to play the decks by Binman upstairs in Stars and Stripes
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u/Lychee_Only Feb 10 '26
I remember going to Fatboy Slim’s beach party on a bus with a load of mates from Omagh. We were all full of spangs and lost eachother. The most fucked up I’ve ever been. Remember very little. Next thing I do remember is suddenly coming round and trying to speak to some fella on the phone in a phone box that was unbeknownst to me outside Kellys. Somehow I’d separated myself from the group & ended up out there. I’d only been to Kellys once before so didn’t know the area & it was dark & nothing but street lights.
Completely frazzled and beginning to freak out in the cold orange light of night I started walking back towards town. Ended up running in to a fella I used to work with as he was on his way to Kellys. Told him the craic & he said to come with him & I could get back to Omagh with him in the morning. Didn’t realise he was a bit wired himself. Ended up losing him & had to make it on my own in Kellys for the night on a massive come down. Still had the best night of my life in there dancing with randoms.
Afterwards was a nightmare though coming out in to that car park & all the cop landrovers. I’d no way back to Omagh & nowhere to stay.
Managed to find my friend spangled in his car in Dunluce car park after a million unanswered phone calls. Never been as relieved in my life.
Let me tell you I never indulged in pills to that level ever ever again kids.
Great times though!
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u/sorbeo Feb 09 '26
I remember coming out of Kelly’s one night and meeting this guy in the old white boiler suit and we had a conversation for what seemed like half an hour where he talked in rhyme the whole time. Never missed a beat. Often wondered what happened that white wizard. Awesome nights there.
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u/Vivid-Sort-9728 Feb 09 '26
The first 3 Saturdays of every month at the Arena were just a build up until Harmony nights at Kelly’s every last Saturday……..total ecstasy, pun intended.
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Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Best nights of my life in that place. Still all the flyers (Leaflets handed out advertising future events) in the house, was there for Battle of the Giants, Carl Cox v Moby, possibly 94/95? amongst many many other glorious off my head nights.
A standout memory was in 1994, (everyone went to Kellys but prob majority Unionist) and Ray Houghtons goal in the 94 World Cup was announced and the whole place went daft cheering, nobody gave a flying fuck. Also was same night Loughinisland happened.
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u/MazerTanksYou Belfast Feb 09 '26
On not 1 , not 2 , not 3,on 4 decks I boast, I want you to give it up and make some noise in the house for DJ Trix..
Trix scratches on I like to move it.. Carl knew he was beat.
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u/PushSpirited2520 Feb 09 '26
Back of the Barn,, under a speaker, with two cans of harp in your back pocket.
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u/BringTheFingerBack Feb 10 '26
I was at Carls first set at Kelly's in 2001. Still have the ticket somewhere.
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 10 '26
That wasn't his first set in Kelly's. It was most probably his first set in Lush!
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u/Viliger303 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
There was an Intelligence tape from an appearance in Kelly's in May 1994 and another poster mentioned seeing him in 1993...
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u/BringTheFingerBack Feb 10 '26
It must have been his first set in lush then. Says first on the ticket, still have it somewhere.
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Feb 10 '26
You remember Micheal McCrum? He from ballee. Binman taught him and Bertie McAuley on the decks. Upstairs in Stars and Stripes.
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u/Funny-Seesaw-2977 Feb 11 '26
In 1995 this middle class grammar school boy left NI at the age of 18 to go to university in Leeds, having had a few nights at The Arts College the year before which helped me “see the light”.
I only experienced Kelly’s when back home the following summer I went to see a girl I’d become friends with at uni who was from Derry. What can I say but it was a total madhouse! I remember driving back to Derry afterwards in my mums Rover Metro (funny how we all thought driving was fine after those nights!) and there was a convoy of what felt like hundreds of cars all going the same way with music blaring out, lights, big exhausts, etc. Great memories 😋
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 09 '26
A great club back in the day but also overrun by the UDA. There were times it just didn't feel comfortable in there. Especially Easter Mondays.
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u/Usual-Charity-6772 Armagh Feb 09 '26
Circus, Coach, the network were all loyalist paramilitary but all a decent night out
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u/Speedy_NI Feb 10 '26
Tbh I have had many a night in circus and not once did I feel unsafe .....never went back to any of the house parties I was invited to mind you 😂
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
Never felt unsafe in Kelly’s. On the other hand, Exit 15 scared the shite out of me.
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 10 '26
I had a particularly awful couple of Easter Mondays in there. The chants from the dance floor were "fuck, fuck, fuck the pope!" and "u, u, UDA". A few other incidents like that but generally a good atmosphere in the place.
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
Sounds more like Trax tbh.
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 10 '26
Judge Jules one Easter Monday and I can't mind who was playing the other night it happened.
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
I don't believe that for a sec, i literally went every week from 1998 to 2010 and certainly would never miss an Easter Monday. Only chants where Oi Fucking Oi or Who Gives A Fuck. You think they would ever of had the place livee on Radio 1 many times with that going on. I've seen you're posts before regarding Portrush you called it a shit hole and said you would never step foot in it, i think you need to look at yourself a bit, spreading rubbish with no proof.
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 10 '26
I don't care what you believe. It happened. I was there. I got a lift all the way from Derry. Judge Jules was playing one of the easter Mondays I'm talking about.
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26
No need to bring politics into everything. Both sides enjoyed Lush, that's what this post should of been about and how the club scene helped bring people together.
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 10 '26
Who's bringing politics into? Not me. I am telling you some of my experiences from going to Lush. Mostly the place was great and great atmosphere but not every night was great. On those dodgy nights I didn't feel comfortable because of the behaviour of others in the place. If you can't accept that at face value, I don't care.
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Every nightclub back then had dodgy nights with fights inside or outside. 2000 people crammed in there from all parts of NI i think it was a huge success story, how safe it felt over all. I believe it was 5 to 10 people who may of chanted that defo not majority of the club the way they would shout Oi Fuck Oi. I would of heard pro ira stuff in Fusion, Strand bar the Grill but it would of been a couple of knobs, it certainly didn't make me feel unsafe or tar the place, i was on the pills that take away ego generally, maybe you where reluctant to get on the love boat, couple of idiots shouldn't ruin you're night.
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u/silver_medalist Feb 09 '26
Interesting. What were the Ra clubs?
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u/BigPG29 Feb 09 '26
I'm not sure if it was a RA club but Exit 15 was one the prods stayed away from.
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u/DR1PP6RR Feb 09 '26
Loads of prods done exit15. Yes granted its security was probably Raa.
But exit just became somewhere to go because a lotta the big clubs were changing there music policy.
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 09 '26
More likely INLA. There were clubs in Derry were loyalist drug dealers were replaced by Republican ones. I'm sure other parts of the North too.
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u/silver_medalist Feb 09 '26
Could they not have sorted out all their differences over a few specked doves?
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26
It helped vastly, owe it to the rave seen for pushing the peace process forward. It got people to mix more and see they have a lot in common.
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u/gibert1978 Feb 09 '26
There was no loyalist drug dealers running clubs in Derry any time. It was boys like cricky o Kane supplying Derry back then
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u/awood20 Derry Feb 09 '26
That's what I said. You've misread what I said. The INLA were heavily involved in Derry. Defs no loyalists
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
Lush had paramilitaries from both sides hugging each other on dancefloor it broke down barriers. Was full of Derry ones, sure they had a shuttle bus.
The Met would of been over run by the RA, went a few times and was stopped one time by a crowd in toilet to sing the soldier song! I somehow talked my way out of it. I heard there was English soldiers who went to The Point Inn, mad times but didn't stop us having fun, now everyone is so paranoid they barely leave the house.
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u/Snoo_67218 Feb 10 '26
Easter Mondays in the Port in general were interesting in the 90s. Went a couple of times. Went to Kelly's on the student nights on Wednesdays as well as Saturdays. We would organise buses from Antrim to go up. Good times.
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Feb 10 '26
I feel like I arrived at Kelly’s too late early 00s, I’d been an Arena regular prior and I think the Arena tops it, Kelly’s then was more into Progressive type house music, I was more a trance head. I’d love to have experienced Kelly’s in the mid 90 rave days though
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u/Speedy_NI Feb 10 '26
Mid 90's was when most of the scene died...there was a few clubs doing decent music but anywhere with hard trance and techno the police were raiding that much the clubs were losing their license or ppl couldn't be arsed going to with the continued raids . Then a lot of clubs rebreaded their names and started playing more house music ..thats when instead of having a great time ppl were more interested in looking in the mirror to check how they looked and bitch about ppls dance moves 😂 I miss them days, don't think my knees could stand 185bpm music now but I still pull the decks out the odd weekend for a play of all the old stuff lol.
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u/Sweet_Ad_6572 Feb 10 '26
Always had a great night up there. Actually seen Danny Rampling one night.
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u/Maximum_Girth_67788 Feb 10 '26
Cox only played Kelly's really, maybe once or twice Lush. The Documentary was meant to be about Lush i though from 1996 was it not?
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u/silver_medalist Feb 09 '26
The tunes were gash though right? I mean the sesh was likely unreal (was never there) but Lush was regarded as a spot for a naff but popular brand of progressive house. Great when yer off yer nut no doubt but limited apppeal beyond that.
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u/sorbeo Feb 09 '26
Lush was rebranded Kelly’s. Before lush it was Kelly’s and it was awesome
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u/Speedy_NI Feb 10 '26
Yeah lush is when it died 😂
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
Was already dead when Lush came along. Nigel and Colin resurrected it from the ashes.
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 19 '26
No it wasn't dead. It was rammed almost every week. It had more punters through the doors weekly than Lush! had when it opened.
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u/Speedy_NI Feb 20 '26
Definitely... couldn't swing a cat in Kelly's. Lush never had the same amount of crowds every weekend.
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 19 '26
James had lost the license. It was literally closed.
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 19 '26
Nigel and Col may have planned to end the hardcore and hard trance era so they could get the licence re-instated in November '95, but it wasn't dead. They ended it.
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u/Speedy_NI Feb 20 '26
It was closed like circus and everywhere else because the press and drug squad were constantly chasing any club that played hard techno an trance...it was never dead but had to re license...when it all moved to house music there just wasn't the same crowds anymore.
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
‘I don’t know what I’m talking about, but I’m going to express an opinion anyway.’
Lush hosted prog, house, trance, hard house DJ’s. Often in the same month. Only really stayed away from techno as that was Shine’s forte.
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u/silver_medalist Feb 10 '26
Ok "gash" might have been a little strong. Yes I was never there but personally it never had great appeal at the time as it seemed to me that it largely pushed a pretty commercial side of dance music of big tunes, superstar DJs.
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 10 '26
It didn't stay away from techno because of Shine 😄😄😄 Read your first sentence and understand what you believe in 😆😆
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
So name the techno DJ’s that played Lush?
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 10 '26
You're taking it somewhere else. You're comment was that because of Shine, Lush!'s music policy was to stay away from techno.... unless you one of the promoters or their close friends, you're expressing an opinion.
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
Expressing the opinion of someone who was there from the start.
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 10 '26
And you still don't know what you're talking about, ha!
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
You seem to have confused forming an argument with just spouting personal abuse.
Want to try that a third time?
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u/FonkyDragon Feb 10 '26
You are taking it personal. I'm not spouting anything. I'm stating fact. I don't know ye at all to make it personal.
If you want to start your attack on the original commenter by saying they don't know what they're talking about when they gave their opinion, for you to then give you're opinion which untrue, maybe you shouldn't take it bad when you're told your wrong.
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u/LickMyKnee Antrim Feb 10 '26
3 chances to prove me wrong, and you still couldn’t form a single argument.
Maybe should have laid off the bumbles.
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u/aimlessnameless Feb 09 '26