A popular podcaster has claimed he has been refused entry to a number of Dublin nightclubs due to his accent.
Calvin O'Brien is co-host of the Talking Bollox podcast, and he said that he has been refused entry to nightclubs and other places in Dublin because of his inner-city accent. He told Newstalk: "It's definitely still there, and I think it's worse than it's ever been. "
Calvin explained one recent incident over the summer when he and two pals went into the city centre for a night out and decided to try go to a nightclub. He said they went somewhere where his friend knew the bouncer on the door but they were still refused entry.
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Calvin explained: "The lads weren't rowdy, we weren't making loads of noise, didn't bring any attention to ourselves and the bouncer came over and said, 'Sorry lads, the boss said you're going to have to leave'."
"With that we were asking for a reason why, we didn't do anything wrong, and with that the boss actually came over and said: 'What are you still doing here? I said you have to leave', and that was that." Calvin believes that he was refused entry "100%" because of his accent.
He said: "It happens all the time, if you were to come out with us tonight, I can't confidently say to you that I know we'll get in somewhere in town."
Calvin said that he'd rather not have to lie to doormen about where he's from in Dublin, and he is dismayed that people from other areas get into clubs easier. He said: "When you walk up and the bouncer says 'Where are you coming from?' you shouldn't have to lie about that, you should be honest with them.
"It'll benefit you to lie and say you're coming from, I don't know, like Clontarf, rather than say you're coming from town, you've a better chance of getting in. You're kind of justifying yourself to the bouncer when there's people falling in and falling out past him, and he's not even giving those kind of people a second look," added Calvin.
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