My friends and I are going to be in Chicago for a few days, we would like to know some cool Irish pubs to hang in...not touristy pubs though. Any suggestions would be wonderful...thank you.

Well then, don't go to Fado (sp?). Its one of those fabricated Irish bars off irishpubs.com. There is one that I enjoyed (a Galway crowd) - I believe the name was the Irish Oak - or something similar. Good craic.

(I'll check the name, if this is incorrect, I will reply back to you).

Fado is a true Irish pub and gets very crowded.
Corcoran's (on Wells Street across from Second City)
Irish Eyes is also good.

Here you go:

http://www.chicagosirishpubs.com/Body-04.htm

I'm not Irish so I cannot vouch for authenticity but some of the places I have enjoyed that claim to be Irish pubs are the Abbey Pub (great bands), Vaughan's, Cullen's and Mulligan Public House - none of these are downtown, however. Closer to downtown I go to the Brehon, Dugan's, Celtic Crossings, and Dugan's (closest to work). Maybe someone else can chime in on the authenticity. I have not found any of the more "neighborhoody" places to be touristy (not like Murphy's by Wrigley).

Oops, I said Dugan's twice - sorry. Also, I was talking about the Vaughan's at 2917 N. Sheffield. I think there might be more than one.

Without question, my favorite pub in all of Chicago is a neighborhood Irish pub in Lincoln Park called The River Shannon. It's at the corner of Hudson and Armatige, I think. Small, but great!

Hidden Shamrock on Halsted and Diversey is a fun place, very lively with live bands. Also Gunther Murphy;s on Belmont and Lincoln is a great hang out place. Another favorite is Kitty O'Sheas at the Hilton Towers on Michigan Avenue.

I've been living in Chicago for 2 years and am a big fan of Johnny O'Hagan's. It's on the corner of Clark and Roscoe in Lakeview. Close to Wrigly Field and a lot of other bars.

Great, thanks a lot. I have been to some irish pubs that are so fabricated it's a bit too much. I really appreciate the information.

Oh yeah, does anyone know about Cork and Kerry pub on Western Ave in the neighborhood Beverly??? I heard there are a lot of great pubs there, but I was afraid the neighborhood surrounding would be not so good.

I don't personally know anything about that one but a good friend of mine, who is Irish, grew up in Beverly (which is a very nice neighborhood - his parents still live there in a beautiful house) and I could ask him if no one else can give you any info.

That would be really great of you, but don't go out of your way to ask him..if you happen to great, if not no biggy.
Thanks

Beverly is a nice older residential neighborhood. A lot of real chicagoans live there where as a lot of yuppie transplants (like myself) live on the northside in highrise condos. Beverly is perfectly safe. The "southside" high crime area you are referring to is further east. Bad areas would be around Comiskey Park and then straight south of there following the Dan Ryan Expressway I believe. Beverly is further west. However, it is a very residential area, I didn't realize there were a lot of bars in that area (enough to bar hop anyway) if there is though you would be perfectly safe.

I sent my friend an e-mail. I'll post again if he responds. Meanwhile, here is what Metromix (metromix.com) had to say about it:

"Cork and Kerry, a friendly and classy neighborhood pub, is as inviting as the charming watering holes of its namesake Irish counties. Its edifice is reminiscent of Irish storefronts, and the tavern's rich, woody interior is accented by stained glass, framed artworks and knickknacks that bring the Emerald Isle to the South Side. Other framed pictures and assorted memorabilia feature the establishment's Chicago connection. The bar features 13 taps for a rotating selection of beers, but Guinness and Harp are constants. Cork and Kerry's spacious, decked beer garden is a pleasant and popular spot for summer revelers. The deck is available to be rented for private parties."

There is another bar very close called Keegan's Pub. Metromix says this:

"The heart of Ireland beats proudly in this pub, which is owned by a true Son of Erin. Its handsomely paneled walls feature Irish beer signs, a flag, pictures of Irish authors and the occasional visage of a Gaelic patriot. It also provides one of the finest, properly poured pints of Guinness Stout on the South Side, and that's something to boast about. Keegan's central bar-in-the-round makes it easy to serve both sides of the establishment. That's important, because Keegan's is a popular destination for weeknight and weekend get-togethers, particularly among the young-adult set. The friendly, neighborhood feel makes it seem like everybody knows your name, and they often do. TVs are always tuned to the big games, and the variety of beers proves a major draw."

Olivia,

This is what my friend said:

"Do I know anything about Cork and Kerry!? I practically lived there from
the time I had a fake I.D. all through college and beyond. It's probably my
favorite bar on the South Side.

It is a pretty traditional "Irish Bar", although I've been in some others
that are even more old school. Still, I love the place and it has an
awesome beer garden which should be open by now.

It does not serve food, so that might be one thing to keep in mind. But for
atmosphere, I highly recommend it."

That sounds like a big thumbs up to me.

Ang -

Why is that so many transplants gravtiate toward the sterile, charmless highrises, and so many more yuppie types who grew up in or very close to the city seem to live in the smaller brownstone type buildings on quieter streets?

I am probably what you would consider both a "yuppie" (I guess) and a transplant having moved here only 4 years ago and I live in neither of those kinds of buildings. We have a single family home on the northwest side of the city - a Georgian, very similar to what you would see in Beverly. When we first moved here, we lived in an apartment which was in a victorian in the Roscoe Village/St. Ben's area (which I love!)

Alex, you say your friend who grew up in Chicago is Irish. I would say that would make him American. Perhaps you meant of Irish ancestory?

Jim,

Yes, you are correct - pardon my mistake. I did mean of Irish ancestry.