Our favorite Webster Irish pub has just become a lot more … Irish.
Tuesday afternoon, in about three hours’ time, Danny and Jessica Barry — and especially Jess’s mom Debbie — installed several new (or rather, old) actual church pews in Barry’s Old School Irish on Main St. in Webster.
They got the pews from the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship Church in Brockport. Danny told me they’ve been looking for pews for several years, and were thrilled to finally find some. As an added bonus, they came with green cushions already attached. They’ve been installed along the front window and back wall of the bakery side of the pub, and near the side door.
The inspiration to add pews, Danny said, came from a pub he and Jess visited on one of their trips to Ireland about eight years ago, only two years after opening their own pub.
“It was a great Irish Pub in Dingle, County Kerry, called Dick Mack’s,” Danny said.
This pub, which I believe was established back in the 1800’s, had the perfect combination of live Irish session music, a whiskey selection that showcased the entire Emerald Isle, and most importantly was filled with so many welcoming and smiling faces that you couldn’t help but feel at home.
(Sound anything like a little pub we have here in Webster?)
The pews will increase the amount of seating at Barry’s, but more importantly, they help make Barry’s Old School Irish even more Irish, if that’s possible.
“(The pews) allow us to dig even deeper into our niche and showcase the love we all share for our Irish heritage which has been constant goal of ours since opening back in 2011,” Danny said.
Danny and Jess have several other goals this spring, including adding a fire pit on the patio, adding more kitchen equipment, updating their signage, looking for more ways to distribute their Vanilla Bean Irish Cream, resuming their live music, and planning for the 2nd annual Barry’s Irish Festival this summer.
It so happens that the first people in the pub Tuesday evening after the installation were several members of Barry’s Runners, who were gathering for their weekly run. As they were the first patrons to try out the new seating, I asked Barry’s Runner Charlene Sudore if they were comfortable.
“They’re pews. They’re not supposed to be comfortable,” she quipped. “They’re meant to keep you from falling asleep.”
True. But I think Barry’s patrons will find the new seats plenty comfortable, and I don’t expect there will be a whole lot of napping going on.
A final note from Danny:
We’re excited for all our new additions but as always it’s the people that fill these walls with love and laughter that are most important and make this place truly special. We can’t thank our community and our Pub Family enough for the support we’ve received these past 10 years and especially in the midst of the pandemic. It’s exciting to continue to grow here at Barry’s Old School Irish and can’t wait for all the great memories we’re sure to make together in the times ahead.
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Congrats! Looking to visit and partake while I’m there. You have a great location in the village.