Raleigh’s Tir na Nog to re-open on Hargett Street

Irish eyes are smiling today.

Almost a year after it closed, Tir na Nog, the Irish pub that was a second home for many with an Irish soul if not Irish heritage, is re-opening.

The pub’s former general manager Annie Britton-Nice – with an assist from the partners at The London Bridge Pub – is behind the rebirth.

The pub will be at 108 Hargett St. in downtown Raleigh, next to London Bridge.

In an email, Britton-Nice said she has dreamed of another Tir na nOg since the original on Moore Square closed and has been looking for space. An encounter with Darren Bridges, one of the partners at London Bridge Pub, led to a conversation about use of the site next to his pub, which Bridges and his partner Mike Ruiz had just taken on. She writes: “three meetings later, I was very happily retrieving the Tir na Nog sign out of storage.”

The two pubs will share the same roof and a garden. Britton-Nice says the kitchen will be ready in late December. Until then, food trucks will be on site for public events. The first of which is Thursday to celebrate the London Bridge Pub, Tir na nOg partnership.

Tir na Nog was a mainstay of Raleigh’s restaurant and music scene for 18 years before owner Pete Pagano decided to close in 2015. Britton-Nice kept the community together through a series of Pop-Up Pub events at various venues even as she looked for a permanent home. In a statement, she said the new venue will have all the events both pubs are known for: Premier League Soccer, Sunday session players, pub trivia and kilt nights.

The pub opens for its first pint at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, with the official welcome party starting at 5 p.m. Friday with music from the Wake and District Pipes & Drums, Gerry McCrudden and band “Nine Times Around.” The Oak City Fish and Chips food truck will be on hand.

At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, The London Bridge Pub celebrates its fifth anniversary and a Guy Fawkes’ celebration with “The Tan and Sober Gentleman” and “Born Again Heathens.”

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 9:13 AM with the headline "Raleigh’s Tir na Nog to re-open on Hargett Street."