Murphy & Rogers/Sounds Irish, Acts Global, 7. How Teenagers and Students Shaped Culture

Student union entertainment organisers played a key role in the development of Ireland’s music culture and music industry. Most notably, during the 1970s and 1980s, the ‘ents officers’ from Ireland’s universities provided ways for Irish bands and youth culture to develop. This was do-it-yourself (DIY) music activity; most of the student union positions were part-time or short-term. Another important strand of DIY music activity came with Dublin’s Hope collective who arranged not-for-profit gigs for bands including Green Day, Fugazi, Chumbawamba and Babes in Toyland.