Scarlet Just Dropped Merch With A Backstory
Text: Izzy Copestake
Scarlet, one of the most interesting after hours DIY parties to grace the Dublin scene over the past few months, has just dropped some merch, with all first-batch profits going to Medical Aid for Palestine. The Long Live Lombard tee pays homage to Lombard: a legendary city-centre house and party epicentre that shaped Scarlet’s early identity and hosted some of the most memorable late-night gatherings. We chatted to Scarlet founder James Ackerman about the drop and the history behind the space.
“It’s been a place of legend in Dublin’s nightlife scene and saw countless late-night party people pass through its doors.”
Lombard, a terraced two-bay, three-storey house built in 1870 and located next to 16 Lombard Street (the founding location of the Irish republican Brotherhood) became Scarlet’s first city-centre base. “We were the last tenants of Lombard, historically associated with Trinity and theatrical circles,” James explains. “It’s been a place of legend in Dublin’s nightlife scene and saw countless late-night party people pass through its doors. Being there as the doors were about to shut, we made it our HQ of operations for the final party: two rooms of music and a soft area full of dressed mattresses. Lombard was an unusual space with a laissez-faire landlord and head bangers (the good kind) mimicking traits of the squatting scene.”
“Lombard was an unusual space with a laissez-faire landlord and head bangers (the good kind) mimicking traits of the squatting scene.”
Before the house-turned-party-space shut its doors, the parties themselves were carefully crafted chaos. The ground floor housed the Saoirse Soundsystem with a vinyl-only room, the middle level was entirely stacked with mattresses for a chill-out space, and the top level featured Scarlet podiums with a green laser reflecting off broken mirrors found in the house.
The idea behind Scarlet’s extended hours stems from After Ours, a collective connected to the crew. “Our goal with setting up After Ours was first thought up to combat the licensing hours in Ireland,” James explains. “We are, in fact, after what should be ours—the ability to dance without the underlying pressure of closing hours.” Ireland’s strict licensing laws mean that most venues must stop serving alcohol and clear the floor by 2 or 3 AM, forcing nightlife into truncated windows and limiting opportunities for underground or DIY events. Collectives like Scarlet and After Ours emerged to give Dubliners a space to continue the night on their own terms, long after official closing time. Lombard allowed the crew to dance all night, creating a space where music and conversation could continue well past the regulated hours.
“We are, in fact, after what should be ours—the ability to dance without the underlying pressure of closing hours.”
Scarlet’s evolution is inseparable from Lombard. “Spending more time in the city helped forge loose connections,” James adds. “Having a place to go after the club closed meant conversations with the crew you spent the night dancing with were possible. Many creative connections have been formed within those walls, and we were the final page in that story.”
The Long Live Lombard T-shirt, designed by Tyler Doyle itself reflects that spirit: inspired by the collective’s DIY approach to designing spaces, it’s a tangible way for fans to connect with Scarlet’s history while supporting a meaningful cause. The drop lands as both a look back and a statement of intent for the future, Scarlet is honouring the nights that shaped them, while pushing for something bigger than dance floors choked by strict closing hours.
