Gunfire on 7th. Street NYC
Gunfire on 7th Street in the East Village of NYC
As I wandered through the historic area of New York’s East village one afternoon in 2002, the unusual sound of gunfire stopped me in my tracks and as I was just crossing 7th street and 3rdAve, I experienced the thundering noise and the gun smoke of 18th century muskets, rising above the street. Davy Crocket hadn’t come to the city, George Washington had not returned and Abe Lincoln wasn’t recruiting for the Union army.
No, it was just Matty Maher, his customers, and the staff of Mc Sorleys Old Ale House, celebrating their 148th birthday with their own militia taking over the street. They were helped in their endeavours by the bard himself, Armagh man Tommy Makem, who was providing the entertainment…And me only carrying a tiny pocket camera. Anyway, sure why wouldn’t there be a party?!
Mc Sorleys has been on East 7th Street, continuously operating as a Tavern since 1854, New York city’s oldest pub, and the longest continuously run tavern in America, making it one of the oldest in the world. With some famous patrons over the years like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant and Ernest Hemmingway. Frank Mc Court did a famous TV interview with Tom Snyder at Mc Sorleys, so he presented the bar with a signed copy of his best seller book ‘Angela’s Ashes’ – which is still there. John Lennon dropped by for a beverage and Harry Houdini visited in 1906 and left his handcuffs locked to the bar as a gift, and they are still there. Dustin Hoffman and Brendan Behan loved the place, as did The Dubliners. The three Kennedy brothers, Jack, Robert and Ted are said to have paid a visit at various times as did boxing legend Jack Dempsey.
A very proud Matty Maher with Tommy Makem & the Militia outside Mc. Sorleys.
There is a treasure trove of memorabilia throughout the establishment, like The Wanted poster for Abe Lincoln’s assassin, there is the complete collection of John Sloan’s Mc Sorley artwork, beside a gold record of J. Giles’s million selling album ‘Love Stinks’, and from the 1940s, Joseph Mitchell’s book ‘Mc Sorley’s Wonderful Saloon’. The walls are covered in history and memories with photographs of many world figures and historic newspaper clippings and front pages, like the Daily News front page of August 11, 1970, and the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that Mc Sorleys now had to admit women into the Saloon - which they duly did. The only change was the gents’ bathroom became loosely speaking, unisex. It took 16 years to finally install a separate ladies room. Other notable historic items are the numerous chicken wish bones, sitting on an overhead rail, barely recognisable as they are covered with decades of dust and atmosphere. The wishbones are from the last chicken dinners of the young men heading out to fight in World War 1, to be collected on their return from the war. The bones remaining are from the young soldiers who never returned. Like all the fascinating historical artefacts around the walls of Mc Sorley’s, nothing has been removed since 1910, including the old pot belly stove, still going strong. The tavern has been written about, sketched and painted by numerous internationally renowned painters and photographed by legendary photographer Bernice Abbott.
The popular front bar at Mc Sorleys Old Ale House
Mc Sorleys was founded by John Mc Sorley in 1854, a young Irish immigrant who wanted to create a tavern for the working man. In the history of the saloon they only ever served Mc Sorleys old ale in light or dark, originally known as Mc Sorleys Cream Stock Ale, served in pints and two at a time. They don’t serve any other alcohol including spirits. They have, however, since the 80’s served coke and soda water. There is also a limited menu of good food at very reasonable prices. Only three individual families have owned Mc Sorleys. In 1936, Bill Mc Sorley sold the bar to a retired NYC policeman Daniel O Connell, who changed nothing. After his death, his daughter took over, yet stayed out of the saloon appointing her husband Harry Kirwan to manage. In 1960, their son Danny began working at the bar. In 1964, Harry Kirwan was on a vacation in Ireland when his car broke down near Kilkenny City. A young man named Matty Maher was out on deliveries for a local butchers, when he came across the stranded tourist. He stopped and helped the Irish American to get on his way. Harry Kirwan was so grateful that his parting words to the obliging young Irish lad was to offer him a job at Mc Sorleys if he ever came to America.
The coveted front window table at Mc Sorleys
A few months later, the young Matty Maher turned up at the 7th Street Old Ale House and began working as a barman and waiter at Mc Sorleys, where Harry’s son Danny Kirwan was managing the bar. Matty thrived at the business, married and began a family. He experienced many changes in the neighbourhood and in the business. In 1970 the Supreme Court ruling meant for the first time ever, women were allowed into the tavern, thereby altering one of the bar’s slogans – “Good Ale – Raw Onions and No Ladies”, dropping the last three words. In 1975 Harry Kirwan passed away, his wife Dorothy had predeceased him the previous year, and the bar now belonged to their son Danny. Mattie Maher was now the night manager at Mc Sorley’s and in 1977 Matty bought the business from Danny. They are now the third family to own the Ale house. A few years later the ladies restroom was installed, and a few years after that Matty’s daughter Theresa became the first woman to serve behind the bar.
Mc Sorleys first female bartender, Mattys daughter Theresa, serving Ale the Mc Sorleys way -Photo courtesy of Mc Sorleys
In the 47 years that Matty owned the famous Mc Sorley’s Ale House, nothing much changed under his tenure. Mc Sorleys only served a light and a dark ale, the floors still have the sawdust, and their slogans remained, including their main one ‘we were here before you were born’. Since the 40’s, mayors, congressmen, poets, entertainers, painters, writers, thespians, minstrels, bohemians, tourists and local residents, all socialize and mingle amongst the memorabilia and almost 200 years of history. Matty Maher mixed with them all and had no problem with the various levels of conversation even when it became philosophical he had no problem adding his own unique quips from time to time like ‘It’s not what you become in life but what you overcome’.
Matty Maher passed away on February 24, 2024, at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife Theresa, and five daughters and their families. His daughter Theresa de la Haba, who has worked at the bar alongside her husband Gregory for many years, now runs the bar and has no plans to change a thing. So still staying with the famous slogan ‘Be Good or Be Gone’.
Well, Matty Maher is now gone but, he was good.
