May 18 marked the 20th anniversary of The Auld Shebeen, the authentic Irish pub in the City of Fairfax.
Mayor Catherine Read, members of the City Council, and Fairfax City Economic Development Officials joined a packed room of customers in congratulating the beloved owners of the restaurant on Saturday afternoon.
Mayor Read presented co-owners Mick Boyle and Dominic Keane with a plaque honoring “20 years of excellence” to an erupting round of cheers and applause.
“Our pub here is really about family, community, and making relationships,” Keane said in his acceptance speech. “It’s been our absolute pleasure. I love our long-term relationships.”
“Thanks to everybody in the community, Mayor, Council, and everybody for showing up, and all our staff, front and back of the house,” Boyle added.
Boyle, Keane, and Brian Dolphin joined hands to start The Auld Shebeen shortly after settling in Virginia. They dedicated their heart and soul into the restaurant to make sure it would succeed.
“We were putting in 60 to 70 hours a week,” Keane said. “It was challenging in the first few years, but it was good.”
Even today, the owners come to work almost every day to ensure the quality of the service is top-notch. Employees and regular customers have come to know the owners as dear friends.
“Customers could be coming in regularly for 10 years and move out of the area, but they still message you and say, ‘hey,’” Boyle boasted. “I think there is only one day of the week where there isn’t one of us here. People recognize that.”
“We’ve met a lot of lifelong friends and customers and had some great staff over the years,” Keane said. “It’s just been a blessing and a pleasure for us.”
Through all hardship, owners knew that residents were bound to fall in love with their business.
“That’s what the Irish pub is, a place where all are welcome,” he said. “We want everybody to come in, enjoy themselves, feel relaxed, and feel welcomed. Everybody can come for a little while, forget about the stress of the world out there, sit down and enjoy a pint and a meal, and make some new friends.”
The Auld Shebeen is not just a restaurant. It is a continuation of Irish culture and heritage. Every weekend, customers dining in can enjoy nonstop performances of Irish music.
“Brian Gaffney has played music for us for 20 years, keeping the Irish culture going every Friday and Saturday night, and it’s just so important,” Keane said. “He probably plays 320 days a year.”
The owners were young fathers when the establishment took off. Now, The Auld Shebeen is an integral part of their families’ lives.
“Our kids pretty much grew up here,” Boyle said. “It was difficult but, like anything, you look back on it with great memories.”
Participants encouraged the owners to keep striving for excellence and preserving the Irish heritage.
“You’re more than just a business, you are a place where people have made memories,” Mayor Read stated in her speech. “The fact you have live music – the fact you have embraced the Irish culture and brought it to our city – is really important.”
“We are grateful and just looking forward to the next 20 years. Congratulations.” said Jennifer Rose, Executive Director of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.
Other attendees included City Council Members Anthony Amos, Billy Bates, Stacey Hardy-Chandler, Tom Peterson, and Stacy Hall; Fairfax City Economic Development Authority Commissioner Kathleen Paley, Fairfax City Office of Economic Development Director Chris Bruno.
