New York’s oldest Irish pub celebrates 162 years

This month New York’s oldest Irish bar celebrates its 162nd birthday and the many famous names and heroes who drank there.

McSorley’s Old Ale House in the East Village has entertained some of the nation’s great presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt, so it was fitting they celebrated their birthday on President’s Day (Feb 15). They also commemorated the 1916 Easter Rising on Monday evening and recalled John McSorley’s financial backing of the Fenian Brotherhood in the 1860s and the current owners' support of the opera "Hazel: Made in Belfast," which will premiere in Carnegie Hall on Oct 16. The new show tells the tale of Lady Hazel Lavery, who had a pivotal role in shaping the 1921 Anglo-Irish treaty.

The old pub is a New York institution, a neighborhood bar for generations. One gets the feeling that they will continue to serve their ale (light or dark – the only choice customers are given) long after we’re all dead. This spot is nothing fancy, but it’s certainly something special.

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Publishers Notes: I've been a loyal customer since 1980.