Ireland - Far up on the craggy, northernmost coast of the Republic of Ireland lies a small and pretty village with two treasures it can call its own. Culdaff (pop. 200), in Inishowen, County Donegal, boasts both one of Europe's top-rated Blue Flag beaches, a perfect golden strand, and, these past few years, one of the island of Ireland's most enterprising live music ventures, the Backroom at McGrory's.
The Backroom, whose seated capacity neatly equals the village's population, is the main reason McGrory's is one of the Irish Tourist Board's rising stars. It's complemented by a 70-covers restaurant with an enviable reputation for fresh locally-sourced cuisine, while the atmospheric main bar serves up yet more food and live music.
Culdaff's remoteness has not stopped the Backroom from attracting full houses to see some of Ireland's finest musical talents and a sprinkling of illustrious visiting stars. Now, with a newly-acquired Soundcraft, Turbosound, BSS and MC2 sound system and a broadcast-ready infrastructure, installed by Live Business International, and a High End, Pulsar, Altman and Avolites lighting rig from PRG, McGrory's has invested substantially to ensure this trend continues.
In April, McGrory's officially reopened, celebrating its newly extended and re-equipped Backroom venue and 17-room three-star boutique hotel with an Easter Music Festival of fine music and even finer Guinness. Acclaimed traditional band Four Men And A Dog, Irish Meteor Award winner Juliet Turner and country star Albert Lee made the headlines while co-owner Neil McGrory manned the Avo' desk with one hand and the Soundcraft with the other.
Neil doubles up as maitre d', artist booker and bartender, while brother John handles design and production and sister Anne is the restaurant and accommodation manager. The family operation is just the latest of three generations, dating back to when McGrory's was the village store. As tourism boomed in the 1950s a bar and accommodation were added: "In summer, Donegal was the Benidorm of its day," says Neil, and in the 1960s a large dance hall opened in the village, becoming
a staple Donegal venue, hosting the likes of Thin Lizzy, Horslips and T-Rex, along with Irish show bands.He and his brother John grew up in this musical scene, forming a covers band and setting up a recording studio alongside the Backroom - a converted function room behind the bar. "It was a great way of making contacts with promoters and bands."
Next came a "very basic" house PA and lighting rig, and, says Neil, "we tried to concentrate on providing a venue with a feel for the music and we looked after the musicians - because we're off the beaten track, people need to be looked after."
Growing income led to steady improvements down the years and, eventually, to the latest tranche of developments. "We've already had Irish TV channels filming here, and we're looking to develop that and other opportunities - based on the combination of different facilities, the restaurant, front bar and hotel as well as the live venue."
Neil admits to some American club influences following a period living in the US, and saw the wisdom in the advice offered by Live Business International's Gerry Logue to take the opportunity afforded by the refurbishment to install a complete cabling infrastructure, including plug-and-play facilities for broadcasters and full AV patching throughout.
Logue explains: "Three main configurations were required for the Backroom. One was live music reinforcement, the second was a cinema facility and third was the facility to use the room for broadcast production. So the infrastructure was really important, with the flexibility to patch in anything anywhere."
The PA system had to be able to handle everything from solo singer/songwriters to full rock bands, an
