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Paul Diskin
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O’Donoghue’s Irish Restaurant & Pub History

The founders of O’Donoghue’s Irish Restaurant & Pub modeled their concept after historic pubs in their native country of Ireland. Pubs, short for public houses, were places that did not require a membership to enter. Unlike private houses, to where the rich had memberships, the working classes frequented pubs.

O’Donoghue’s Irish Restaurant & Pub is fondly named after O’Donoghue’s Pub - still found today on Merrion Row in Dublin, Ireland. O’Donoghue’s Pub is a historically significant drinking establishment located near St. Stephen's Green on Dublin’s south side. As a life-long stomping ground for the founding partners of O’Donoghue’s Irish Restaurant & Pub, it was during a visit to this famous pub that they realized the need for a similar concept in their current hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz.

An Irish pub is a warm, welcoming place where people socialize, sing, relax, tell stories, and exchange gossip and rumors. Early Irish pubs usually operated as a 'Spirit grocery’, combining the running of a pub with a grocery, hardware or other ancillary business on the same premises. Many pubs in Ireland still resemble grocer's shops, with the bar counter and rear shelving consuming majority of the space in the main bar area.

Most Irish pubs are named in honor of the founding family or current ownership. Built in 1789 as a grocery store, in 1934 O’Donoghue’s Pub began operating full-time as a pub when purchased by the O’Donoghue family. The family grew this business to the popular meeting place it is today.

O’Donoghue’s Pub is closely associated with Irish traditional music. It is the first performing location for the popular Irish folk group, The Dubliners. Many other notable Irish musicians have played at O’Donoghue’s and their photographs continue to line the pub walls. This location attracts both tourists and locals alike and is notably packed during the evening hours. True to form, O’Donoghue’s Irish Restaurant & Pub will feature live musical entertainment and position itself as a gathering place for locals. The cozy restaurant will feature tokens of legendary Irish folk in addition to local heroes who contribute to its current success.A massive, authentic Irish bar will resemble the originally designed “Spirit groceries” and serve as the focal point of the establishment.

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