The Gibbons’ Home Irish pub in Maspeth, Queens has officially reopened its doors after the tragic death of its owner, George Gibbons, last October.
The popular Irish bar hosted a special “Welcome Home” event featuring an array of live entertainment last weekend, including a special Oscar night on Sunday.
“Opening the doors to Gibbons' Home was an amazing feeling for our entire family,” Bernadette Gibbons, the youngest sibling in the family, told the Irish Voice.
“The weekend was fabulous and the floors got a run for their money with all of the dancing.”
The Queens local was closed temporarily after the tragic death of the bar’s proprietor George Gibbons, 37, on October 15. After finishing his shift, Gibbons was killed just blocks away from the Maspeth bar when the livery cab he was traveling in was struck by a wrong way hit-and-run driver on a service road off the Long Island Expressway.
A “Justice for George Gibbons” campaign followed to catch Peter Rodriguez, the driver who fled the scene.
In response to the tragedy, family and friends rallied together, offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Rodriguez before he was finally arrested in Connecticut on November 15.
“There were some tears here and there for our family,” Bernadette said, “but then we all thought about how lucky we are to have such a place to call our own and to honor our late brother by continuing on with what he started.
“We are very excited for the days, weeks, and months ahead and we are over to the moon to see such a delightful response from the community who all seemed to be lost or "homeless" without their favorite weekend spot in Maspeth,” she concluded.
A special message posted on the Gibbons’ Home Facebook page thanked the community for its support. “You have all gone above and beyond for our family. We look forward to making new memories together with you all that will last a lifetime! Thanks again and we hope to see you back ‘Home’ this weekend!”
The son of Irish immigrants well known in the local New York Irish American community, George is survived by his father, George Senior, brothers Eamon and Brendan, and sisters, Siobhan, Maureen, and Bernadette.
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