New Irish Pub for Lawrence, Kansas
Rumours are reaching me of plans for another Irish pub in Kansas City’s hinterland of Lawrence, Kansas.
It’s at the early stages of planning, but there’s a chance the pub may carry a Gaelic name. What would be a good name do you think?
Sin É was the name of a famous Irish cafe/pub in New York (and there’s currently one in Dublin of the same name). Fadó is a chain of Irish pubs in America.
Irish surnames are by far the most common pub names, though first names are not unknown. Made up supposedly Irish-sounding names is another common pub-naming device - and it’s often a horrible one. No, I’m not giving you any examples. Names of characters from Irish songs or literature, as well as historical figures, are often used - presumably because the proprietor’s German name doesn’t work for Irish branding. Think Molly Malone’s, Kitty O’Shea’s, The Oscar Wilde, or The Daniel O’Connell. Or The Daniel O’Donnell for that matter.
Irish slang is another source of Irish pub names in America, though Kansas City’s The Gaf gets it wrong. Yes it does. I still use the word every day, and that’s not how we use it.
Placenames crop up frequently - think O’Dowd’s Little Dublin and The Blarney Stone in KC. Raglan Road may well be named after the actual road in Dublin, or after the poem by Kavanagh which was named after the road, or perhaps after the song as quintessentially sung by the Dubliners’ Luke Kelly - but that’s still really the poem, just set to music, and named after the road ultimately.
National symbols and emblems crop up frequently in Irish pubs around the globe - think The Harp, The Shamrock, The Claddagh.
Some pub names as Gaeilge in Ireland?
• Deoch an Dorais (Drink of the Door - think One For The Road)
• An Púcán (The Galway Hooker - it’s a kind of boat)
• Gob Fluich (Wet Mouth)
• Róisín Dubh (Dark Róisín, she being a personification of Ireland)
• Tí na nÓg (House of the Youth - a play on Tír na nÓg)
• An Bóthar (The Road)
• An Droichead Beag (The Little Bridge)
• An Béal Bocht (The Poor Mouth - novel by Myles na gCopaleen)
Some pub names in Irish that I’m not aware of being in use - in other words I’m giving these ideas away for free:
• An Madra Gorm (The Blue Dog)
• Scaird Tae (Drop of Tea)
• Is Mór an Trua (What a Pity)
• An Cuisneori (The Fridge)
• Iníon Fhear an tSiopa (The Shopkeeper’s Daughter)
• Balscóidí (Blotches - of the Skin)
• An Taephota (The Teapot)
• Déan Gearán (Complain - everyone could go to Complain)
It could be on a sign over a pub in Lawrence, Kansas. Got any better ideas?
See Also:
• History of a Pub, an Irish Pub
• The Closing of WJ MCBrides and Other Irish Pubs in Kansas City
• How To Open An Irish Pub
• Downtown Paddy O’Quigley’s Closes Quietly
• McFadden’s Sports Saloon Launches KC’s Entertainment District
• Chicken McBride’s
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
Ah yes, the gaff, we used to use that all the time as kids… have you a free gaff tonight etc. suppose it means the exact same thing as pad.
If any americans want to name their pubs after Irish slang, there’s a plethora of words to digest on Slang.ie!!!
Enjoy!