Dubliner is Valley's oldest Irish pub

5 commentsby Michael Clancy - Mar. 12, 2009 11:19 AM
The Arizona Republic www.azcentral.com/community/nephoenix/articles/2009/03/12/20090312phx-dubliner0313.html
Northeast Phoenix is not home to very much that is old. But it is home to the Valley's oldest Irish pub.

The Dubliner, situated in a strip mall at 40th Street and Thunderbird Road, has been around to celebrate 24 St. Patrick's Days.

John O'Connell and his partner, Patrick Leavy, have owned the place for 11 years. They are the fourth owners.
Seamus McCaffrey, the dean of Irish publicans, founded the place near his home in 1986, even before Irish music gained new popularity with "Riverdance" in the 1990s and, locally, the Irish Cultural Center in 2001.

His stated reason was that he could not find a Guinness in the entire Valley.

The Dubliner was the first place to offer it, and it remains a popular choice among customers.

McCaffrey moved on, opening his signature place downtown and a second one named for his mother, Rosie, on Camelback Road.

Not much has changed, though, at the original pub, O'Connell said. The bands come and go, but the food, the beer and the decor remain the same. It's larger now, expanding into empty space south of the original room.

The bar has held on in good times and bad, O'Connell said.

"It's slow, but weekends are fine. Let's hope next Tuesday (St. Patrick's Day) is better," he said.

George O'Brien, who runs the Arizona Irish Music Society, commends the Dubliner for remaining self-consciously Irish despite growing competition.

It was one of only four Irish pubs when he started the society 10 years ago, O'Brien said. Now, it is one of 13.

As a result, its crowd of serious Irish music fans has thinned out as well.

"The Dubliner is an institution," O'Brien said. "They have Irish ownership, and they are conscientious about presenting Irish music."

St. Patrick's Day is one day when the Dubliner puts on a real party.

Three bands and an Irish buffet are the key features.

It may not be the best time to experience the Valley's oldest Irish pub.

But it might be a great time for first-timers and old friends to get acquainted.