In Ireland the pub is the hub of social life. It is the place where friends and strangers meet and debate every issue under the sun, with a relish for detail that is generally matched by a prodigious appetite for drink. In many country areas the pub and mass are the two main forums for the exchange of news, and that is why pubs are so friendly. The tradition of hospitality to strangers persists in rural Ireland, not just because it is a cornerstone of Gaelic culture, but also because visitors carry in precious non-local news.

When my father Jim Flynn retired last year I decided to buy his pub which had been in the family for years, and bring it here to America. I used to work there as a child and I learned how to pull pints of Guinness before I was ten ( and drink them before I was….) . Our crew took it apart timber by timber and shipped it right down to Main Street Santa Monica via the Panama canal. It was no easy feat to put together an Irish team of carpenters and specialty painters to fly out here and build it right into the space occupied by Jake & Annie's. There is a genuine Irish teak bar with Celtic carvings and Irish furniture with woven donegal tweed cushions to recreate the genuine Irish ambiance. The walls are adorned with Celtic murals based on the "Book of Kells" an ancient Irish manuscript. Finn McCool is depicted with his dogs.

So why am I calling it Finn McCool's?

Throughout time, many myths have been associated with the Irish and its heritage. One myth in particular is that of "Finn McCool", leader of the "Fenian's ", Gaelic for warrior, who was born and raised secretly in the "Slieve Bloom" mountains for fear that his father's enemies should find and kill him out of revenge. He grew up strong and fit and legend tells how he confounded his enemies with his magic skills and was eventually able to rule Ireland.

From the time of Finn Mc Cool the Irish have been famous for their story telling, Irish music, excellent food fayre, and not forgetting their famous whiskies and beers. With the best choice of Irish food and beverage's my aim of course is to make sure you feel like you never left Ireland in the first place, except for the weather.