McGreevy’s in Boston is credited as being America’s “first sports pub”.
McGreevy’s, a historic Irish American sports pub in Boston that’s owned by Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey, has announced its permanent closure, citing financial difficulties due to COVID-19.
The news of the pub’s closing was first shared by the Instagram account @OnlyInBos who wrote: “With a landlord unwilling to find a middle ground in the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, McGreevy's has permanently closed after twelve years on 911 Boylston Street in Boston.”
That same day, Ken Casey, the frontman for Dropkick Murphys, reshared the original Instagram post, adding: “We had 12 great years. It was an honor to be a part of unearthing such an important part of Boston baseball history.
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“In addition to being Boston’s original Baseball bar, it was the hang-out for some of our favorite Dropkick Murphys fans.
“The staff (past and present), the regulars, and the fans are all family too us and always will be. We are thankfully able to move our staff to our other locations (@YellowDoorTaco and @LowerMillsTavern). Rest In Peace McGreevys #covidsucks.”
The post was also shared to the official Dropkick Murphys Facebook page where it was met with thousands of comments and many people sharing their memories of the historic sports bar in Boston.
#Repost @kendkm ・・・ We had 12 great years . It was an honor to be a part of unearthing such an important part of Boston...
Publiée par Dropkick Murphys sur Mercredi 19 août 2020
Like so many other pubs and restaurants, McGreevy’s launched a GoFundMe in March to help support its staff in the wake of coronavirus. As part of the GoFundMe, McGreevey’s said: “For every $50 donated a bartender or server will donate one hour of their time to volunteer at a charity of their choosing.
“Whether it is helping at a local soup kitchen or volunteering for best buddies we want to show that if our friends are willing to extend a hand to us when we are in need we will damn sure respond in kind. Any money that is left over will be donated to the Claddagh fund, an excellent charity that we and McGreevy’s are proud to work very closely with.”
The fund has raised $7,085 at the time of publication.
WATCH: Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day concert from Boston!
About McGreevy’s
According to McGreevy’s website[https://www.mcgreevysboston.com/our-story], the Boston pub was first opened as the 3rd Base Saloon in 1894 by “Nuf Ced” McGreevey, who would settle arguments amongst patrons by pounding his fist on the bar and exclaiming, “Nuf Ced!”
3rd Base Saloon soon became “the place to be for ballplayers, politicians, gamblers, Tin-Pan Alley stars, and die-hard fans known as the Royal Rooters.”
The pub is credited as being America’s first documented sports-themed bar as well as America’s first baseball museum. “Every inch of wall space” was decorated with sports memorabilia, including the light fixtures, which were made from bats used by Red Sox stars.
A painted portrait of McGreevy hung above the bar and looked down upon customers like Babe Ruth and boxing champ John L. Sullivan, as well as "Royal Rooters" like Mayor "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (JFK's grandad) and "Sport" Sullivan, the Boston gambler infamous for masterminding the fix of the 1919 World Series.
"Nuf Ced" and his Rooters cheered on the Red Sox with the fight song "Tessie" for their first World Series win in 1903 and continuing the tradition for world titles at Fenway in 1912,'15,'16 and '18. Looking back, there's no doubt McGreevy's was the birthplace of "Red Sox Nation.”
In 2004, Dropkick Murphys revived the ghost of McGreevy by singing his name in their revival of the Red Sox fight song "Tessie.” Performing inside Fenway and bringing good luck with dramatic wins every time they played, Dropkick Murphys carried on the "Royal Rooter" tradition as they cheered on the Sox to their first world title since 1918.
During the playoffs of 2007, the story of "Nuf Ced" made it to the big screen in the award-winning film "Rooters: The Birth of Red Sox Nation.” The film featured the Dropkick Murphys 2004 story and a replica of McGreevy's 3rd Base Saloon built as a movie set. Soon after the film premiere, the band helped the Red Sox win another World Series and Jonathan Papelbon danced a jig to the Dropkick's new hit as they led the victory parade, just like the "Rooters" did a century ago.
In 2008, Dropkick Murphys' leader Ken Casey officially re-established and re-opened McGreevy's 3rd Base Saloon at 911 Boylston Street with the support of baseball author and historian Pete Nash. Nuf Ced lived on in the replica of his original bar which featured a baseball museum dedicated to Boston’s history which displayed originals and reproductions of McGreevy's pictures on the walls.
“Back then and now, McGreevy's is a place where players and fans go to blow off steam after a big win. It's a place where every picture on the wall tells a story about Boston's baseball legacy and the characters who defined an era. Babe Ruth, mobsters, big-shot bosses, and the founding fathers of Red Sox Nation made the scene back in the day. Today it's Papelbon, punk-rockers, Boston's movers and shakers and a legion of Red Sox Rooters, young and old, who call ‘McGreevy's 3rd Base’ their ‘last stop before home.’”
WATCH: Dropkick Murphys and Bruce Springsteen perform from Fenway Park!
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