Nicky Woulfe celebrates 45 years in the entertainment business

Nicky Woulfe celebrates 45 years in the entertainment business. Nicky Woulfe pictured with his partner, Cathy Halloran of RTÉ with his record collection.

Nicky Woulfe to Celebrate 45 years in the Entertainment Business in Limerick and the wider Mid–West Region

On Saturday 16th of November, Nicky Woulfe will mark his 45th year in the entertainment business with a celebration in the Whitehouse Bar on O Connell Street Limerick, where he has been the DJ on a Saturday night for the last 18 years.

Nicky was born in Limerick on the 29TH of December 1961. He has been a music fan all his life and bought his first record back in 1969 which was Elton John’s Empty Sky and he has continued to buy music and invest in collecting music memorabilia up to the current day.

Nicky is the partner of RTE’S Mid–West Correspondent Cathy Halloran for the last 23 years and is the father of three children, Lloyd, Zoe, and John Michael and the Grandfather to Ollie and Jack Ryan.

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Nicky began his career on the west coast of Clare in the townland of Kilkee playing support to the late Brendan Murray at the Olympia Ballroom now long gone.

After his learning curve in the Olympia, he progressed to the Hydro in Kilkee, which went on to be known as Old Moore’s but my happiest time in Kilkee was playing records in Micky Martins West Cliff. Nicky would also play records on a regular basis on a Sunday night at Queens Hotel in Ennis which was a great night.

His real nightclub career began in Jack Burkes back in 1979 on Thomas Street in Limerick City and over the next 45 years would become one of the best-known DJs in Limerick and the Mid-West Region, playing records in many nightclubs in the region included, The Basement Night Club in the Glentworth hotel in Limerick, along with a number of other clubs over the years which have included, The Brazen Head or Teds as it was better known as, Fernando’s, and Tropics in the Royal George Hotel, The Shannon Arms, to name but a few.

Since that time Nicky’s love of the music business has led him to become a large collector of music, memories and memorabilia which has included, old black white photographs, posters, magazines, programmes, etc and has also built up one of the largest record collections in the Country.

Also Over the years Nicky has the opportunity to tour with Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher as a roadie as well as several other international acts throughout the 70s and 80s.

He has also run many venues in the city which have included The Shannon arms. The Speakeasy and Arthurs Warehouse.

Nicky was lucky enough to promote many of the top acts in Ireland from the mid 80s into the early 90s, which included, Mary Coughlan, Mary Black, The Blades, In Tua Nua, The Cranberries, Blue In Heaven, Cactus World News, International acts that included Albert Lee, John Martyn and many of the up and coming bands on the live circuit, which included a host of bands from Cork, Galway, Waterford, and of course Dublin.

In 2014 with the help of the National City of Culture, Nicky achieved one of his lifelong ambitions to showcase to the public his vast collection in an exhibition entitled Music Memories and Memorabilia.

Music Memories and Memorabilia arises from the personal collection of music and memorabilia of Nicky Woulfe, who has been collecting music on vinyl as well as other music and popular culture including periodicals, photographs, and posters for over 45 years. His experience gleaned through decades of working in the music industry as a roadie, promoter, journalist, broadcaster, DJ, and company director is colossal, likewise his love of and passion for music and the arts.

An Advocate for the living power of music, his reputation and contribution to the preservation of Limerick and Irish music is immense.

His exhibition Music Memories and Memorabilia attracted over 7000 visitors over the six-week run of The National City of Culture in 2014 and Nicky is still determined to make it a full-time visitor and tourist attraction for Limerick, The Wild Atlantic Way, the Island of Ireland and the wider world.