Sir Henrys was a rock bar for most of the 1980s.[7] The club at the time also held gigs by an older and more traditional "pub rock" element, but this scene had died out by the mid 1980s, as post-punk bands such as Nun Attax (later Five Go Down to the Sea?) grew in prominence.[7]
Many of Ireland's up-and-coming young bands performed here[8] and the 'Battle of the Bands' was held there for a number of years where unsigned talent competed for a recording contract. Artists that performed there over these years included Phil Lynott, John Martyn, ex-Clash Mick Jones'Big Audio Dynamite, The Pogues and The Sisters of Mercy.
As dance music became more popular and the demand for small venue live gigs decreased, Sir Henry's became a venue for the "Sweat" night. Started in 1988 by Shane Johnson and Greg Dowling, this was to become one of the top clubs in Europe in the early 1990s,[12] supplemented with the addition of the Back Bar with DJ's such as Donkeyman (Mark Ring) and Stephen Grainger (Stevie G).
Over the 1990s, Sweat built up an international reputation, being variously described as "a gorgeous blend of underground house" (i-D), a "deep house frenzy" (The Face) and "the best music on that side of the Irish Sea" (DJ Magazine). By the mid 1990s Sir Henry’s had become a house venue,[13] playing host to some of genre's better known artists such as Kerri Chandler, Roger Sanchez, Glenn Underground, Cajmere, Derrick May, Migs, Fred Everything, Charles Webster, Kevin McKay, and Mike Pickering.[14] The venue also hosted the "alternative" disco night Freakscene for many years.[15] Sweat ended in 2001, and the venue closed in 2003.[5][16]
The short independent films "120 bpm"[17] and "The House That Cork Built" record the club's place in Irish House music.[18] A research exhibition, titled Sir Henrys@UCC Library, was held in University College Cork during 2014.[19]
^The documentary documents Sonic Youth and Nirvana's 1991 European tour. The list of cities are shown at the beginning of the documentary, including the Cork date.
