Patrons of PJ O’Brien’s bid farewell to Mr O’Reilly in a wake on St Patrick’s Day as the pub took out the Irish and pivots to PJs in the City.
Proprietors posted a Funeral Notice for dear Mr O’Reilly, heralding a “move away from our Irish pub history” and the last time Guinness would be on tap.
St Patrick’s Day was deemed fitting occasion for one last bash for PJ O’Reilly’s Irish Pub in Canberra, festooned with traditional live music, poetry and Guinness pie, and remembrance for the namesake.
“O’Reilly was best known for inventing the 7-course Irish Degustation: six pints of Guinness and a potato,” boasted PJ’s social media.
In recent years there has been a noticeable rejuvenation of the nightlife in Canberra’s Civic region, bolstered by on-trend venues such as Mollys and Highball Express.
Far from being an Irish destination, PJ’s hasn’t had Guinness on tap for years, only returning the sacred brew to the line-up for the farewell party.
Last year’s COVID shutdown gave owner Nathan Lamont and bar manager Sean Gautusa time to think about the direction of the venue and consider new ideas. A COVID-led refurbishment started them down the path of moving away from the Irish theme.
The focus for PJs in the City will include essential elements of the pub that have always made it great, just sans Irish central theming.
Gautusa is part of Canberra band H-Cee Family, well-known in the area, and live music will become a major part of the new business model, offering top local acts every week, particularly Friday through Sunday.
PJs in the City, born 18 March, is also an ambassador for local breweries, such as Capital Brewing and current GABS Top100 #1, BentSpoke.
“A man of men, a drinking games-slayer, urban Irish cowboy, legend and outlaw, died this week,” lamented PJs.
