“A true Irish pub is traditionally a public house, aplace where the community can gatherto hold a wake, to talk agriculture,conduct community business and have a drink,” explains Greg Steffke, generalmanager of County Clare Irish Inn and Pub. “It’s a place that is universallyfor the family, and because it serves, in a cultural sense, as a gatheringplace, that’s what ultimately makes it a public house.”
Ireland’scelebrated pub culture has long been a key feature in selling the Green Isle asa tourist destination. Pick up a Fodor’s or a Lonely Planet and you’ll findthat the literature focuses on the conviviality, conversation and live music(or “craic” as the locals call it) that can be discovered just by walking overthe threshold of a traditional Irish pub. But to appeal to money-wieldingtourists, traditional Irish pubs started changing the way they did businessowners,or publicans, expanded seating areas, started serving food and offered livemusic that customers could sing along to. Today there are few traditional pubsin Irelandthat haven’t been subjected to change in order to attract tourists by more closelyresembling their sentimental image of Éire.
Along with tourism, the other key factor that hasirrevocably changed the Irish pub experience by making it an immenselyprofitable commodity is the Irish-themed bar business. According to marketingmaterial provided by the Irish Pub Co., a division of the McNally Design Groupthat specializes in the design, manufacture and installation of fabricatedIrish pubs worldwide, the company has designed and built more than 400 Irishpubs in over 40 different countries since being established in 1991. And it’scertainly not the only one contributing to the global phenomenon. Diageo, thelargest multinational beer, wine and spirits company in the world, and owner ofGuinness, has contributed to making Irish pubs one of the largest and mostprolific casual-dining concepts by opening more than 1,800 pubs in 53 countriessince 1992.
Here in Milwaukee, natives of Ireland accounted for15% of the population just two years after the city was incorporated, so therewas plenty of demand for the corner pubs that Irish immigrants beganestablishing all over the new frontier city. At the turn of the newest century,popular haunts with Irish ties, such as Derry Hegarty's, The Harp, Judge's andCounty Clare, had to share their little piece of Irish culture with the arrivalof a new generation of Irish-themed bars, such as Mo's Irish Pub downtown in2003 (and a second location in Wauwatosa in 2006), The Irish Pub in 2006,Brocach Irish Pub and Restaurant in 2007 and Trinity Three Irish Pubs in 2008.
It’s not enough to have “Irish Pub” in the name, orlist Guinness and Bushmills on the drink menu, so how does one know if a localIrish pub is authentic? Look around. Who are you sharing the bar with?
“The Irish diasporathe people who have left Irelandand transplanted themselves here in the United Statesfind local places thathave an authentic feel to them, which includes kindness, the art ofconversation, reasonable prices and good times,” County Clare’s Steffke says.Some local Irish pubs have gone so far as to partner with Irish employmentagencies to bring young Irish bartenders to Milwaukee, giving them a chance towork abroad and giving customers a little face time with a true Irish accent.
Another way to determineIrish authenticity is to find out how seriously the Irish pub takes itsresponsibility as an emissary of Irish culture to Milwaukee. Many local Irish pubs sponsorathletic teams that play traditional Irish sports, such as hurling, and bookIrish performers who specialize in traditional music and dance. In addition,some places offer Irish language classes and free screenings of indie Irishmovies, and even arrange for tours to Ireland.
In keeping with the powerful Irish culturaltradition of lively conversation and passionate debate, the topic of whether ornot an Irish pub transports genuine Irish culture is a topic worthy ofdiscussion as you and your mates sip from perfectly poured pints of Guinnessthis Green Season.
