Description: My visits are always well received at McSorley's.
Here is my story:
My grandfather, and my father, both were commissioned to jack up the sinking bar just after WW II. My grandfather John (Jack) O'Brien was a freelance independent engineer and found himself at the pub listening to the owner complaining about the bar sinking along with the the old wooden floor upon which it stood.. O'Brien proposed to fix the bar on a early Saturday morning before the opening for the usual customers were looking for their daily grog. The owner accepted his proposal. O"Brien noticed on that Friday afternoon a crew of NYC employed workers doing street repairs outside the pub. He hired a few for work on the following early Sat morning.
O'Brien showed up with his workers on early Sat morning with a few house jacks, heavy tools, and his crew. He proceeded down to the cellar and found the underpinnigs of the bar and the floor. He located the house jacks underneath a few strategic points under the floor of the bar and slowly raised the bar and floor underneath it, back to even the floor level. He then inserted shims to keep the floor level once again..
It worked like a charm but for one problem. Now the doors of the old cabinets would not close squarely from years of abuse being out of square.. After some minor sanding and restructuring of the doors, all became square above the bar once again..
Job done, O'Brien paid, the crowd surged in for their daily grog and O'Brien bought the house a round....
This is why I enjoy my visits to McSorley's It is personal for me.
NB; Please keep in mind this is an "original Irish Pub" a left over from the 19th century in the old 5 Points area of NYC Don't expect anything except beer and Liederkrantz cheese w/ crackers w/ great hot mustard. If you are looking for cleanliness and prim /proper, pass it up and go to Fraunces Tavern where General Washington gave his farewell address. Most everyone is like Rodney Dangerfield to them, you get no respect...Drink up, enjoy your company and then go to make room for he next patron(s).
Remember "McSorley was there before you were born"...
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