The GOODS from The Irish Heather

Vancouver, BC | 2014 will mark the 18th celebration of Ireland’s patron saint since The Irish Heather opened on March 14, 1997. Over the years they’ve had some crazy, out of control St. Patrick’s Days packed to the rafters with locals and whoever famous happened to be in town (from U2 to Sean Penn and everybody in-between). Being the only Irish-owned establishment in Vancouver means that they’re in high demand. The distinct absence of green beer helps, too! Get all of the details about this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations from owner Sean Heather after the jump…

“March 17th in Ireland is not the same as the event that it has become worldwide. It can best be likened to North America’s Thanksgiving, with the day being given over to church-going and a large family dinner. It wasn’t until the early 70’s that pubs in Ireland were even allowed to open on St. Patrick’s Day!

Abroad, our minds naturally wander to Ireland and to our friends/family that we cannot be with. In an effort to stave off homesickness, we gravitate towards Irish bars…a home away from home for most of us. In my youth, I fended off loneliness on many a St. Patrick’s Day in cities like Budapest, Cairo, Amsterdam, Chicago, London and New York. I hope that The Heather delivers that same comfort to you.

This is the busiest day of our year. To ensure that most folk have a chance to hoist a pint in Vancouver’s only Irish owned bar, we try to keep folk to 2 hour-2.5 hour visits. Of course we’ll do our best to accommodate everybody and there will always be a chance to gain access by just turning up at the door.

As with years past, we have secured another space across the street for “Baby Heather.” So at the very least you’ll get a seat and a drink there, while waiting for space to open in the Heather. Please call 604-696-9701, e-mail us at [email protected] for reservations, and click here for more details.”