Where are all the ex Paul Street emos?
The makeup may be removed, the hair dye rinsed out, and the skinny jeans and band merch replaced with smart-casual office attire, but the emos of Paul Street are out there somewhere and are eager to reminisce.
A number of “retired emos” have taken to Cork’s dedicated Reddit page in recent days looking to reconnect with their old chums and share fond memories of their days hanging out in front of Paul Street Shopping Centre in Cork city (Rory Gallagher Place).
Not to be confused with the 'moshers/skaters' who’d hang out at the nearby Emmett Place (although they did mingle), Cork city’s emos of the early-to-mid 2000s would generally be found in large groups along Paul Street.
In a recent Reddit post, one alumnus of the once lively scene made a public call to their “Dear ex Paul Street emos”.
They wrote: “Sending this one out to any retired Paul Street emos out there on this sub. Where are you guys now? Do you care to share any Paul Street lore from back in the day?”
Responses started to pour in almost immediately, with one Redditor writing: “The emos, like the goths before them, have migrated to the southern hemisphere for the summer, where it is winter, and they will be able to empathise with the cold and brutal world.”
Another wrote: “Paul Street was madness in its heyday. Fifty odd alternative teenagers drinking and smoking in the centre of the city every Saturday, and now as if it never happened at all.”
With many of them now in their late 30s and early 40s, Cork’s ex Paul Street emos have moved on with their lives, but the fond memories remain of a special time in the heart of the city.
“Getting the bus into the city, not making plans with anyone, and knowing you'll know half the heads there. Great times lads,” recalled one.
The nostalgia was stronger for some than others, with one former Paul Street frequenter sharing: “Just reading these comments has given me a massive amount of nostalgia. About eight or nine years ago I drunkenly decided to get ‘Paul Street’ tattooed on my leg... never forget your roots!”
With recent news that the vibrant and popular food truck plaza, The Fifth Quarter, would be leaving Rory Gallagher Place, who knows, maybe a new generation of Paul Street emos might take up residence.