From dancing at Hanley's House of Happiness to raising pints at Kelly's Pub on St. Patrick's Day, the history of the Irish community in Chicago is told through stories of its gathering places. Families are drawn to the pub after Sunday church, in the midst of sporting events, following funerals, and during weddings. In good times and bad, the pub has been a source of comfort, instruction, and joy—a constant in a changing world. Based on interviews with tavern owners, musicians, bartenders, and scholars, Chicago's Historic Irish Pubs explores the way the Irish pub defines its block, its neighborhood, and its city.
Mike Danahey is a reporter for the Sun-Times Media Group based in Chicago's northwest suburbs. His work has appeared in the Irish American News, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Elgin Courier-News. Allison Hantschel is the author of It Doesn't End With Us: The Story of the Daily Cardinal, and editor of Special Plans: The Blogs on Douglas Feith and the Faulty Intelligence that Led to War. Their years in newspapers have given them ample appreciation for a bartender who can pour a good pint.