Stringfellow opens Dublin lap dancing club

Lap dance impresario Peter Stringfellow tonight opened his first club in Dublin City and called on Irish girls to audition as dancers.

The lavish two-storey venue on Parnell Street was granted a dance licence last month despite objections by 300 local residents.

Surrounded by up to 50 scantily clad girls, Stringfellow declared the club open for business.

He told reporters: “I’m looking for Irish girls to audition as dancers. Between 25 and 30 have already come to me and will be working in the club.”

The 65-year-old club veteran said the auditions consisted of a brief chat and a one-minute dance.

He added: “This venue will be good for the area. I want to be a good neighbour. We have invested €2m in the premises so we’re here to stay and want to make a success of it.”

The North Inner City Residents Group said they were concerned about the type of clientele which the venue would attract to the area, where a girls’ secondary school, a toy shop and a cinema are located.

Stringfellow said he would try to spend as much time in the club as possible to meet clientele.

There will be a €20 admission charge with each dance costing €30.

There are already five lap dancing clubs operating in the Irish capital.

But Stringfellow told Dublin District Court last month there would be no physical contact between performers and customers, and was thus granted a dance licence.

The businessman expects his clientele to be male and aged in their 30s and 40s.

He joked: “I’m in my 60s myself so I can’t be too fussy about age can I?”

Later, up to 50 young protesters picketed the front entrance of the premises with placards declaring “Protect Our Women and Children” and “No Sleaze in Our Area”.

As the formal press launch ended and the club opened for customers, businessmen queuing at the door were met with chants of “Shame On You” and “Go Home To Your Wives” by the noisy demonstrators.