Uisce Irish Pub reopening June 6 in new location full of hidden history and Irish nods
Walk down Cornwall Avenue and you’ll discover an authentic Irish pub full of sweet stories, meaningful Easter eggs and details built from the ground up.
Uisce Irish Pub, pronounced “ish-kah,” is reopening on June 6, according to its owner, Molly McGarry, who has spent the last year creating its new space at 1409 Cornwall Ave.
“It’s so true that when one door closes, another one opens,” McGarry said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald.
The beloved Irish bar was located at 1319 Commercial Street in Bellingham for almost 20 years until the pub lost its lease. The building is now home to The Great Northern Bottle Shop & Lounge.
“I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to that. And so then I realized pretty quickly on that this is a huge part of my identity. And my community,” McGarry said.
The new pub space is different than its previous location but is centered around its beloved wooden bar that was taken apart, stored, and then moved into the new pub.
“It is like the centerpiece, like the center of the universe when it comes to Uisce. So many different things happened at this very bar over 20 years. You could imagine how many people, how many different conversations, arguments, divorces, marriages... we introduced people that got married at Uisce because they met here. So many different things,” McGarry said.
The bar was crafted by Tom Lutz of Lummi Island in 2006 for Uisce’s original pub, and then rebuilt by Aaron Kuhaulua of AK Crafted Woods & Design in the new bar space.
The pub is full of many details and Easter eggs, or as McGarry called them, the heart of the pub.
One Easter egg to look for once construction is complete is a penny on one of the ceiling beams. This penny is used as a marker to show the exact spot below the restaurant, where a time capsule full of memorabilia and personal items was buried below the pub.
Another Easter egg is easily seen on the floor — a Celtic knot that wraps around the bar area as a sign of protective symbolism, according to McGarry.
Around the pub, you will also see framed photos of McGarry’s family members and other memorabilia from the pub’s history.
McGarry not only put important details and work into rebuilding and creating the restaurant, but she also says she holds a high standard of hospitality that she hopes to bring back to Bellingham.
“Hospitality is very important to me, and I take it seriously. I think it’s sort of a lost trade. And so I feel like when you come to a space like this, and you’re having this one-on-one conversation with someone, that’s magical,” McGarry said. “I recognize it isn’t even about serving the perfect drink. It’s about providing an experience for someone, which includes greeting them knowing that, giving them attention and looking at them, I’m like, engaging.”
“I find that people appreciate being recognized. And they also appreciate knowing that they’re in a safe environment with people who respect them and want to show them a good time in a way that like is you’re coming into escape. And it doesn’t mean you want to escape reality, but sometimes you do,” McGarry told The Herald.
This Irish, speakeasy-like ‘escape from reality’ will also include a new menu of handmade pizza and pretzels, as well as cocktails, beer, and of course, Guinness.
“We pride ourselves on having all these industry people come in, and that’s why we’re open every single day of the year until 2 a.m. because everybody comes and sees us afterward. And so to be able to provide some food for them, which is actually pretty good, too, makes us really happy,” McGarry said.
McGarry also wants to make sure the pub authentically reflects her Irish heritage, inviting visitors to learn more about the culture and history.
“We’ve been sort of dubbed the Irish embassy of Bellingham. I obviously take a lot of pride in my heritage. And I do think we sort of offer a little piece of Ireland here, not just with the Guinness or with the alcohol, but also with the music. Ireland isn’t just like, go there and get drunk. There’s music and art, the arts are a huge part of the history,” McGarry said.
McGarry plans to host regular weekly sessions of live Irish music. One day, she said she’d even like to host an Irish festival.
After over a year of construction from the ground up, McGarry is ready to welcome the community back into her Irish pub and show them the new creative space that was built with many of her close local friends.
“These are people that when we talk about community, I am so blessed to get to work around that. Not only employees that are believing in me and all the things but just dedicated. And then these craftsmen that came in and helped with me. It’s hard to explain, but it is magic is what it is. And that’s something that last space had, which I hope we’re bringing over a little bit to this space,” McGarry told The Herald.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle, bustle, all these things, but if you can just give someone attention, it’s so gratifying. And that to me is hospitality. So it’s not as much about making the perfect cocktail or making the most creative cocktail. It’s more about providing an experience that makes someone feel welcomed in by the inviting atmosphere and just making them feel acknowledged,” McGarry said.
Uisce Irish Pub will reopen on Thursday, June 6, and will be open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily at 1409 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham.
This story was originally published June 5, 2024 at 4:47 PM.
