Stout demand

Sean Patrick's co-owner Mike Morrissey has a word of caution for patrons: Don't believe everything you see.

For instance, the plaque at the entrance to the Irish pub that reads "Est. Feb. 21, 1986" refers not to the opening date, but to the birth date of his son for whom the bar is named.

Truth be told, Morrissey and co-owners Maddy Graves and Bob Trigero opened the restaurant and bar three years ago at 8255 W. Flamingo Road in the middle of a boom of similarly themed establishments within hotel-casinos. The publicans, who also own sister properties Molly Malone's at 11930 Southern Highlands Parkway, and Kavanaugh's at 3290 W. Ann Road in North Las Vegas, had a different angle: build free-standing properties in the suburbs that offered the charm of the Emerald Isle to a predominantly local clientele.

"We actually called Guinness (the brewing company) and talked to them. They got us in touch with the people we needed to make this happen," Morrissey said.

This included Lordon Design, a consulting company that designs bars and procures décor for them from sources all over the tiny nation. Unlike a great many ethnically themed restaurants, Irish pubs frequently feature reclaimed furnishings, many 19th century or older. At Kavanaugh's, for instance, the front doors were taken from a 19th century home. Other items simply look the part, such as an enormous photo of Danny Kavanaugh on one wall, the late father-in-law of Maddy Graves.

Sean Patrick's includes many such decorative touches, including an old stove and a series of connecting hardwood chairs in a private room that once adorned an Irish church.

"The Irish, even the priests, are all too willing to clean out old things and build new. They negotiate hard for the best price and turn around and replace it with all new (furnishings)," Morrissey said.

Morrissey said an Irish theme is perfect for a neighborhood bar and restaurant because it feels comfortable -- even to the non-Irish. Patrons of all ethnic backgrounds can feel at ease because it is a universally welcoming culture.

"I think it's the Irish people. The Irish people are known for being warm and friendly and inviting. The design is built on that premise. How many places have you been in Las Vegas where there's a fire in a fireplace 24 hours a day, every day of the year?"

Erin O'Hayer, the aptly named general manager of another neighborhood Irish pub, Three Angry Wives at 8820 W. Charleston Boulevard, sums it up more succinctly: "Everyone else has been successful, so why not?"

The sentiment is not much of an overstatement. From Finland to Singapore, Irish pubs are a worldwide phenomenon, capitalizing on the culture of an island nation with fewer than 4 million citizens by selling its trademark blackish-brown beer.

There's no shortage of places in Las Vegas to find Guinness on draft in an environment that -- in one way or another -- reflects Irish culture. Practically nonexistent just a few years ago, the Irish pub scene has since expanded to include Brendan's (The Orleans), McMullan's, J.C. Wooloughan (Rampart Casino), Three Angry Wives, McGrail's of Erin (Desert Passage), Fado (Green Valley Ranch), Kavanaugh's, Jack's (Palace Station), Sean Patrick's, The Tilted Kilt (Rio), Nine Fine Irishmen (New York-New York) and Molly Malone's.

In general, an Irish pub serves Guinness (a nonnegotiable requirement), features a Victorian-era interior with lots of dark woods, and serves fish and chips, among other meals commonly associated with the Irish. In Las Vegas, there's another authentic touch even the Irish themselves will soon be unable to match: smokers. An ordinance that goes into effect later this month bans smoking in workplaces throughout the Emerald Isle, including pubs, ending once and for all the traditional, if toxic, Irish pub experience of "a pint and a puff."

From one pub to the next, the experience varies substantially. Fado, for instance, features a centuries-old faãade from Ireland, as well as a bust of an Irish writer, whereas Brendan's has little themed décor. Hotel pubs usually feature a place for live entertainment; neighborhood places don't. Nine Fine Irishmen, appealing to patrons of the Strip, collected recipes from some of Ireland's most respected chefs. On the other hand, Three Angry Wives offers more American choices.

"A lot of our stuff here is not authentically Irish. Their food is not all that spectacular," O'Hayer said.

None pretends an Irish bar is not, first and foremost, a business venture. Three Angry Wives (named for the spouses of the Higgins brothers who own it) started as a free-standing building in Henderson, a piece-by-piece construction project largely imported from Ireland decked out with authentic artifacts. After all their work in creating the perfect pub, the family later sold its primo real estate when another pub operator made an offer too good to pass up, and took their business across town.

After six months at its new location, a suite within a common building at the Boca Park commercial center at Charleston and Rampart boulevards, the pub has re-established itself with a new clientele and seemed quite busy even early in the evening on a weekday.

"When people come in, they stay and they come back," O'Hayer said. "There's a good attitude here."

The pub is still quite Irish in theme from its British Isles beers to the Irish words, such as "Failte" (welcome), stenciled on walls. A sign suggests "time for a pint."

Amid the dark wood veneers and the tricolor flag on the wall, however, are some distinctly all-American and all-Nevadan features. ESPN shines from a bank of screens over a den decorated with comfy furniture as contemporary music emanates from overhead. The glow of gaming machines lights up faces in an otherwise dimly lit room. Various promotions adorn banners and fliers festooned throughout the room.

Even pubs that play up the Irish theme often do so in distinctly American ways. Just as corned beef and cabbage and St. Patrick's Day parades are more American traditions than Irish ones, so too are Irish pubs more about an enjoyable experience than strict authenticity.

Even many of the legitimate Irish artifacts and literary passages adorning Sean Patrick's are an inside joke. Metal plaques featuring the names of nuns on chairs have been replaced by plaques bearing the names of family members preceded by "Sister" or "Father." A quote from the Book of Kells, an ancient text, was ornately painted on one wall and attributed to Morrissey's teenage daughter, Erin.

He explained his whimsy thus:

"I told her, `Erin, this is an Irish bar and you're allowed 65 percent blarney.

"But it also shows that the Irish in Las Vegas have a little twinkle in their eye."

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