I read the news today, oh boy.
Last Thursday, the texts started arriving.
My daughter got the first one. It was from Liam Macik, a playwright, director, and podcaster who was a frequent special guest at Riley’s Storytelling Nights a few years back.
The second text came to me. It was from Christopher Laughrey, my long-time musical collaborator and bandmate in The Laughrey Connolly Band. Chris and I performed regularly at Riley’s back when it was Paddy’s Pour House.
After that, the pings kept coming, one after the other, lighting up our phones like a fire out of control.
Riley’s Pour House was burning.
Hope From the Ashes
I’ve blogged about Riley’s many times over the years, sharing news of musical performances, storytelling events, and the annual marathon St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that spilled over into entire weekends. Those were amazing times.
But this post is different. Riley’s is gone, taken by a blaze that started in the kitchen and spread from the original building into the adjoining pavilion.
But the pub and pavilion will rise again. If not in time for St. Patrick’s Day 2025, then hopefully by March 2026.
The Irish have a saying. Bíonn súil leis an bhfarraige. Literally: There’s hope with the sea. In essence: Hope springs eternal.
I am hopeful.
When a new Pour House rises from the ashes, I’ll be there.
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