Peter Maybury

1999 marked the end of a decade of great social, economic, and cultural change in Ireland. Significant social milestones included church scandals, divorce and abortion referenda, the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the end of the Troubles. Improved economic success saw unemployment and emigration give way to immigration and full employment. Within this broader national context, Dublin was embarking on its own period of urban regeneration. Over the course of the 1990s, vast derelict areas of the city would be transformed into offices, hotels, and apartments. 

Club flyers were an integral part of dance music culture and they played a central role in the promotion of the dance music scene in the 1990s. Throw Away is not a comprehensive history of the period, but it does provide certain insights into Dublin city’s dance music scene during this period. Across 304 pages, with over 1,100 reproductions, the book reflects the scene’s progression from initial rave phenomenon to its eventual mainstream acceptance and commoditisation. Collectively the flyers document a changing Dublin city where nightlife – previously restricted by licensing laws, limited public transport, and a shortage of suitable venues – took hold with a generation of ambitious promoters and venue owners. Almost all the venues have since been demolished, or have changed use. The flyers contained in this book reflect a Dublin that has largely disappeared.