I’ve walked by The United Arts Club at 3 upper Fitzwilliam Street plenty of times. I had a notion that it was some sort of place where generally stuffy people might hang out.  We are all guilty of judging a book by its cover and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to have my notion corrected.  On a Sunday afternoon I paid a visit to enjoy one of the clubs Sunday jazz sessions.   They run every Sunday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and non members are very welcome.  There is an admission charge of €10 per person which for two hours of jazz in comfortable surrounds is money well spent.  The resident musicians beguiling the guests are Nigel Mooney and the Johnny Taylor Trio.  Over the course of two hours they entertain with a mix of old and new tunes.  The music is infectious and it’s incredibly easy to get lost in it. Personally I like nothing more than enjoying a glass of wine while listening to good music and you will be pleased to know that The United Arts Club has a full bar on site to provide it. Whats more they have a very nice Inycon Nero D’Avola for about €20 a bottle. A refreshing fruit led wine with a hint of spice.  I won’t lie there were a couple of bottles enjoyed.  To go with your wine you can also add a plate of cheese and crackers.

The welcome at The United Arts Club was warm and friendly.  We got chatting to a couple of people at the table beside us who were regulars at the jazz. They gave us a bit of an inside scoop on other events which both members and non-members can enjoy. Everything from art exhibitions to chess clubs to poetry readings and formal dinners.  The club has something for everyone.  Members can take guests with them, book accommodation on the upper floors and enjoy dinner prepared by Anthony O’Grady (Ballymaloe trained and formerly of L’Ecrivain) in the formal dining room. You can find out about membership here.

As mentioned the welcome was warm and that welcome extended to post jazz drinks at the bar with a lovely group of people.   The jazz may have been two hours but we enjoyed ourselves so much we stayed at the club for about six hours. I’m giving serious thought to joining myself.  If you are in the city on a Sunday afternoon and want to try something a little different, I recommend trying Sunday Jazz at The United Arts Club.