Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now Sign up to our FREE email alerts for the top Tyrone stories sent straight to your e-mail More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Sign up to our FREE email alerts for the top Tyrone stories sent straight to your e-mail Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice It's been a while since I've been to a nightclub, in any shape or form! My nights out these days are more conducive to a nice dinner and some cocktails with pals in a bar with live music. Since the pandemic, even some local bars near me make me feel old, as they're now full of young adults from age 18-25 who flocked to these whenever nightclubs shut and bars reopened with social distancing in place, and they've since become their regular weekend haunts. But I've not set foot in a proper nightclub in dear knows how many years, so when Limelight announced a brand new strictly Over 30s club night , I felt a calling! Read more: We visited the family adventure centre just off the M1 that's great for all ages Read more: We tried the 'Best Chinese in Belfast' and it's safe to say we will be back My younger days were spent in nightclubs right across the country, but our favourite weekly spots in Tyrone were Clubland, the Glenavon (later Sense nightclub), the Greenvale and a few local bars in Dungannon too – McAleer's, Hagan's and The Fort. But when I think back to those days, it more than feels like another lifetime ago! I'm now a mum-of-two and I barely feel like I know how to dress to go out for dinner and drinks with friends, let alone hit up a nightclub! But I thought this nightclub is different, for a start it will have everyone my age and older who probably all had the same thought getting ready to go out on Saturday night. The beauty of the 30+ club night at Limelight is the timing, it starts at 5pm and ends at 9pm, just in time to grab yourself a greasy curry chip with cheese (don't knock it until you've tried it!) and head for the last train or bus home, and be tucked up in bed well before midnight...bliss! So glad rags on, we headed to the Limelight. I'll admit it felt odd walking into a nightclub when it’s daylight outside. Being the sensible over-30s we are, we had already been for a bite to eat beforehand, none of that 'eating is cheating' nowadays, the week-long hangover is just not worth it! The 30 Plus Club at the Limelight is one not to be missed! (Image: Belfast Live) It was a real novelty as well queuing at the door to get in and to have our IDs checked to make sure we were over 30! From the minute we had our wristbands on and stepped foot in the doors, I knew we were destined for a good night. The
music was pumping in the large area to the left as we walked in, and glowsticks were being waved in the air like we just didn’t care. DJ Dave Ralston was on the decks and it was banger after banger, from Love Inc ‘Superstar’ to Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’ and Westlife's ‘When You’re Looking Like That’, the music was wide-ranging and the crowds loved every second. It was the old-school hits that went down the best, as host for the evening Cool FM’s Stuart Robinson got the crowd going with shouts of ‘Who’s not going home at 9 o’clock?’ But it wasn’t just floor-fillers with glow sticks, crowds were treated to performances from the incredible Saxxy Hannah on saxophone alongside two dancers dressed as disco balls, which went down a storm as confetti flew across the dance floor. The age range at the 30 Plus club was as it said on the tin, some 30-somethings like myself and my
Friends and then every age after that right up to I would guess some clientele in their 60s, and there was something for everyone! If raving on the dancefloor isn’t your thing, then the room to the right as you enter, the Limelight Lounge was much more chilled but equally as fun! Saxxy Hannah had the crowd loving the Ibiza vibes
Singer Joe McKeague of The Rapparees was on stage offering a change of pace for those who prefer rock, folk, cheesy pop, and indie singalongs. I have to say I loved the combination of both rooms on offer, if we wanted a break from the dancing we headed to the Limelight lounge, grabbed another drink, and sang along to a range of nostalgic tunes including Wheetus Teenage Dirtbag and B*witched C’est La Vie. The 30 Plus club was a proper feel-good night out, we laughed, shared so many stories about our clubbing days, and chatted about how different songs that came on brought us back to different nightclubs over the years. The nostalgic vibes flowed through the night, even the range of drinks on offer took us back to what we drank back then, especially the Fat Frogs! Even the Cocktail menu was themed for the 30 + club I remarked to a friend as we walked past the Cloakroom that there was a telltale sign this club was full of over 30s, a sign which read ‘Cloakroom full’ less than an hour after opening, as all of the crowd were sensible not to venture out without one, especially with Storm Kathleen still about outside! Many of the next four dates are already sold out and I can see why, it’s a unique offering to suit an older crowd who are still young enough to go out and have fun, but not want to mingle among the younger university-age students. I think it needs to become a permanent feature and should spread across the country in different venues, in a similar
fashion to the likes of the Bingo Loco events. If you haven’t got a ticket for the next dates of the Over 30s club I suggest you get on it fast or if the date you want is sold out, get your names on the waiting list online incase some do become available, it really is a night you won’t forget! More details on the website HERE. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BelfastLive
Facebook Twitter Comment More On Limelight Cookstown Co Tyrone