An Atlantic City institution run by the same couple for 40 years, the Irish Pub’s been going green long before that became trendy terminology.
Irish Pub’s float at the A.C. St. Patricks Day Parade
Atlantic City showcased its Irish spirit last Saturday (March 10) in the 27th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, but had you turned right off the Boardwalk at St. James Place, about a half-mile into the parade route, you’d have come across an establishment that probably emulates the flavor of Ireland better than anything else in the city.
The Irish Pub is at the base of an old (circa 1905) Victorian-style hotel building, and has been run by Dick and Cathy Burke since 1972. Entering during daylight hours may require an adjustment to the change in light, or lack thereof, but once done you’ll see that this is no cookie-cutter pub replica. The dark-grained wood interior and old-A.C. memorabilia makes for a warm, welcoming feel. It is a place with authentic charm that’s been sought out by locals and regular resort guests for decades. And whether it’s a reasonably priced meal or just a place to hang out and enjoy some spirits — including Harp, Bass, Killian’s, Yuengling and Murphy’s Irish Stout on tap — the pub will probably fit the bill.
Lifelong Atlantic City resident and 25-year A.C. Beach Patrol member Jim “The Singing Lifeguard” Craine has plenty of fond memories of the Irish Pub.
“We had lifeguard meetings there and we’d meet after lifeguard races and stuff, we had Steel Pier reunions there,” says Craine. “It’s a great place to go any time of the year, especially at Christmas time. Cathy decorates the place up so beautifully. And when you’re short on cash that’s the place to be, because they always have specials and the food’s outstanding.”
The pub does a daily “Poor Richard Special” ($3.50 lunch, $8 dinner), and on Friday nights has a 5-8pm happy hour offering $2.50 domestic draft pints and $3 appetizers.
“The portions are huge and the prices are really reasonable,” says Glen Eric, a singer/acoustic guitarist who performs at the pub every Thursday night. “I mean, it’s not four-star dining, but it’s not supposed to be. It serves its purpose.”
Eric, whose influences include Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Neil Young, starts performing when the dinner hours wane Thursdays, and tailors his sets around the crowd’s temperament. If it seems laid back, he may lean more toward mellow rock classics. If it’s more upbeat — as it was last Thursday, March 8, when a convention was in town — he’ll go in that direction.
“On Thursday a PBA [Police Benevolent Association] convention was here and it was packed right off the bat,” says Eric. “I started doing a bunch of Irish tunes like ‘Drunken Sailor’ and others, and some members of the military came up and made a request for ‘The Wild Rover.’ So I started playing it and they actually got up and started singing along with me. That was cool, and one of the policemen from Monmouth County was a big Bruce Springsteen fan, and after he heard me do a few Springsteen songs he asked if I’d be interested in playing in his wedding, which was also cool.”
Eric is a two-time finalist in Billboard magazine’s songwriting contests (in 1991 and 1994), and will occasionally mix in an original or two he penned.
Prior to retiring from lifeguarding, Craine and his ACBP cronies had a ritual involving the Irish Pub — which this July will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Tour de Shore, a 65-mile bike ride (from the Philadelphia Irish Pub to the A.C. Irish Pub) that has raised over $2 million for various children’s charities.
“When I was still on the beach, we used to hang out at the pub for a while, ride the jitney down to Jackson Avenue and then thumb it to Washington Avenue and go to Maloney’s [a hallowed Margate hangout that closed in 2005],” says Craine. “Well, one night we got a little too raucous — it was when the song ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ was popular and we were all out practicing our Kung Fu fighting — and the bouncers at Maloney’s decided to give us the door. So where did we end up? Back at the Irish Pub.”
The Irish Pub
Where: 164 St. James Place at Boardwalk, Atlantic City
When: Open 24/7. Live music every Thurs. with Glen Eric. Fri. DJ Fran, 9pm
Contact: 344-9063 or visit theirishpub.com
Over 1,500 bicyclists will ride for charity in the silver anniversary of the Tour de Shore, including a 204-person team called the Wheels of Justice founded by a Pa. district attorney.
When I saw Ben Affleck’s heist thriller 'The Town' at the Toronto Film Festival I didn’t notice that Jeremy Renner was wearing a T-shirt from Atlantic City’s Irish Pub in one scene. However, fans of the Pub did notice.
There’s an aura of authenticity that strikes you even before entering the Ri Ra Irish Pub, and one that’s intensified once you do. The creators of the company concept — friends who emigrated to the U.S. from the Emerald Isle — took great care in making their original venture as close to the kind of classic pub you’d find in Ireland as they could possibly make it.
Would you shave your head for charity? You can do so at the Halfway to St. Patrick's Day event on Sunday at the Ri Ra Irish Pub & Restaurant in Atlantic City. The activity, part of the St. Baldrick's Foundation events that take place throughout the country, involves people from all lifestyles and occupations. These volunteers shave their heads in solidarity with children fighting cancer and raise crucial funds for childhood cancer research. It started in 1999 when three insurance executives of Irish decent, Tim Kenny, John Bender, and Enda McDonnell, decided to find a novel way to help others. They turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party at Jim Brady's Pub in Manhattan into a benefit for children with cancer. Although their goal was $17,000, the first St. Baldrick's Day event on March 17, 2000 raised over $104,000. Since then, the St. Baldrick's Foundation has raised over $20 million for childhood cancer research, with over 26,000 heads shaved -- more than 2,000 of them women--at 1,220 events in 42 states and 10 countries. All funds raised go to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. You can take part by heading over to Ri Ra, in The Quarter at Tropicana and donating...
Atlantic City's Trinity Irish Pub and Carvery, located mid-ship, third floor of The Pier Shops at Caesars, manages to offer not only the obligatory Gaelic food we are all accustomed to, yet also m...
Name: The Irish Pub Address: 164 St. James Place at the Boardwalk, Atlantic City. 344-9063 History: The Irish Pub has often been referred to as "America's Greatest Watering Hole" according to the historic A.C. establishment's Web site (www.theirishpub.com). It's no wonder the local hot spot has gained national attention with its extensive selection of beers, affordable specials, and unique atmosphere that combines the style of a traditional Irish pub with the feel of your favorite neighborhood bar. Above the Pub you'll find a Victorian-style inn with rooms starting at just $20. Located on the Boardwalk, and only steps away from the beach and casinos, the Irish Pub is one of Atlantic City's can't-miss destinations for good times and friendly faces. Specials: A soup-and-sandwich lunch special offered daily for $2.50. Other daily lunch specials served from 11:30am to 2pm include a wide selection of hot and cold sandwiches, salads and burgers all under $5 with $1 domestic drafts. The Pub also offers Daily Blackboard Dinner Specials for $6.50 between 2-8pm in addition to a complete dinner menu. What To Know: The Irish Pub is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a full menu offered at all times....
At the new Dubliner Irish Pub & Grill, anyone can feel like they have just stepped onto the green grass of Ireland. As St. Patrick's Day approaches, definitely consider this pub if you want to raise ...
Alex McKee's gregarious personality is perhaps matched in potency only by his skill as a craftsman, and both attributes were necessary in making McKee's Irish Pub the success it's become. That remark...
The Irish Pub and Inn harkens back to the early days of the resort town. The family manned hotel was built in 1900 and includes an enormous pub and restaurant on the bottom level, which serves a huge...
It’s that time of the year again. The votes have been counted and the winners have been named for the 4th annual ACWeekly.com Readers’ Choice Nightlife Awards.
When the Big Day arrives this weekend, some 40 celebrants will assault 15 pounds of corned beef, 10 pounds of ham, and 15 pounds of potatoes at the Absecon home of Charles Coyle.
Sure, the obligatory green food coloring will once again find its way into copious kegs of beer when St. Patrick’s Day weekend (March 16-18) arrives, but there’s so much more to look forward to if you’re fortunate enough to be in the Atlantic City area then
Area casinos provide opportunities to win cash and prizes, as well as offering special room rates and other upgrades and amenities based on your casino play
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