|McCONnEL'S|
|auTHENTIc| |IRISH Pub|

The Irish were a key point in the 2nd Industrial Revolution. They made up a significant part of the workforce across the country and they brought the culture of their home country, Ireland, and shared it throughout the country. To celebrate their rich cultural history and their impact on the 2nd Industrial Revolution, Elliott Gearwright built a traditional Irish pub that would bring a slice of Ireland to Ohio. He met a jovial Irishman and a pub in Cleveland named Finn McConnel who was an immigrant from Ireland while fleeing the Potato Famine. Elliott quickly took a liking to Finn and invited him to his new venture. Finn was way too drunk jovial to say no... so he said yes. When Finn arrived at the site, he saw a house that was recorded to have been lived in by an Irish family so he decided to make something to honor his Irish heritage. That is where McConnel's Authentic Irish Pub was birthed.

The pub's exterior reflects the Irish roots of the 2nd Industrial Revolution. The structure is made up of dozens of freshly laid red bricks, giving the pub a rough look. Dark red wood paneling outlines the many windows that make up the pub's outside. While most of the seating is outside, a dark grey steel overhang gives shade to the left side of the building. Revolutionary lightbulbs glow a dim yellow above guests, it's like they were just installed yesterday. Dozens of wooden tables and chairs are placed under the overhang with tablecloths having the colors of the Irish flag (white, green, and orange).

Guests walk through 2 wooden doors and enter into a grand space. Dark green wood make up the walls while the floor has a dark red color. At the center of McConnel's is of course, a bar. Wooden green panels make up the surface with golden finishes around the corners in the shape of Ireland’s native wildlife (badgers, foxes, red deer, etc.). The counter is made up of white quartz with plenty of wooden stools for bar seating. In the center of the bar is a wooden rack filled with many different kinds of Irish alcohol made in Ireland and shipped from Ireland. Several Irish flags hang down from the roof of the bar, making it real clear that McConnel's is an Irish pub. Despite that this dining location is a PUB, there is alternative seating for guests that don't wish to stare at the beautiful Irish alcohol. Several booths with amber seating make up the left and right walls, the windows are stain-glass with depictions of iconic Irish environments such as the white capped cliffs on the Atlantic coast or the vast grassy fields of farmland with cows in the distance. On every corner of McConnel's is a golden statue of 4 Irish gods (Aengus, Badb, Brigid, and Lugh). Hung up on the walls are several photographs of iconic and famous people from Ireland. While the energy itself could entertain guests, there is more to McConnel's than just energy.

On the back wall are several portraits of popular Irish musicians (U2, Enya, Sinéad O’Connor, etc.). To further cement the music theme of this part of McConnel's, a large wooden stage with glowing yellow lightbulbs along the edge takes up the majority of the back area. This stage isn't just for looks however, this is an Irish restaurant after all and where there is Irish, there is good music. Throughout the day, several bands with different instruments will come out on stage and play traditional Irish folk songs such as Rocky Road to Dublin or Drunken Sailor. The song list is The Wild Rover, Whiskey in the Jar, The Foggy Dew, The Fields of Athenry, Black Velvet Band, Molly Malone, The Parting Glass, Danny Boy, The Rising of the Moon, Rocky Road to Dublin, Star of the County Down, The Minstrel Boy, The Rare Old Mountain Dew, Finnegan’s Wake, The Leaving of Liverpool, The Galway Races, Seven Drunken Nights, Spancil Hill, The Mountains of Mourne, Red Is the Rose, and Drunken Sailor. The band plays throughout the entire day and even allows guests to sing with them.

The food served here will be traditional Irish dishes found in both Ireland and America. Irish Stew – A hearty stew of lamb (or mutton), potatoes, onions, and carrots. Colcannon – Mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage or kale, butter, and cream. Coddle (Dublin Coddle) – A stew made with sausages, bacon, onions, and potatoes. Champ – Mashed potatoes with scallions (green onions) mixed in. Seafood Chowder – Creamy soup often made with salmon, cod, mussels, or prawns. Soda Bread – Traditional bread made with baking soda instead of yeast. Crubeens – Boiled or fried pig’s trotters. Barmbrack – A fruit loaf, often associated with Halloween traditions. Dulse and Carrageen Moss – Edible seaweeds traditionally eaten along the coast. Irish Breakfast – A full plate with sausages, bacon, black and white pudding, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, and soda bread. These dishes are just a portion of the menu that is served at McConnel's (as an Irish man, I have to be honest with y'all, Irish food sucks).