Hanafin's Irish Pub

Things That Go Bump in the Night!

2009-04-22T21:30:00.002-05:00

The building that houses Hanafin's Pub was built in 1914 by a local millionaire Morton Plant, who it is reputed to have said at a Conn College Board Meeting, "How much will it take to end this meeting?" One of the other members said one million dollars, and so the meeting was over and Conn College got its biggest donation ever.

Anyway, from 1914 to 2009 you can imagine that a lot of people have passed through the doors of what is now Hanafin's. In 1914 the space was a print shop with editorial offices, print rooms, etc. I'm guessing when I say the bank opened in the 30's or 40's, but it was called the Winthrop Thrust Bank (thats a fact.) We have had former employees come in and tell where they sat and how things were so different back then. The bank closed in the seventies, and the space sat unused as far as I know.

The Garde Theatre across the street aquired the building in the eighties and it was in a sad state mainly used to store equipment and other stuff.

When I saw the place first I thought "what a great space," it felt right for me and D2. This now was 2004, and there was a Harley bike and a giant polka dot stilletto sit on in what was a photographer's studio.

So would you be surprised if there were some spirits in the our pub? We have had numerous sightings of people who weren't there... it doesn't surprise me and it does not bother me either.

Ask D2, Max, or Katie about what they have seen and they will tell you their stories.

So if, late at night, you happen to walk out of the bathroom and you see a person in front of you and on second glance they are not there, don't worry about it, just the late night spirits saying hello!!

Moving on to other stuff there could be a change in the air with regards to buildings, stay tuned for more info.

Some times you say things to people you wish you did not, and other times you say things to people that make a lasting impression and maybe even inspire them. Such is the case with a conversation I had with a friend who was going to BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition School) Training.

I got a call yesterday from Coronoado, California from the same person, who had just survived "Hell Week." He told me that while he was in the ocean freezing and they were pulling people out of the water he thought of the conversation we had prior to his departure, he held on and on and survived. From 220 to 30, from 70 at the begining of "Hell Week" to 30 at the end, he made it. He was elated with what he had achieved and called me to tell me. Although he has four more months of SEAL training to go, he has proven that he has the dedication and strength to complete all missions.

What a story! And its all true!

Here is a question for all; How do you say goodbye to someone who is already gone? If you know, let me know.

-D.

March 17th Fell on a Tuesday; Sorry We Don't Do Weekends...

2009-04-06T21:44:00.006-05:00

Today is the 26th of March and I can now finally put pen to paper for my blog. It really does take a while to not just recover from the day but after all the anticipation its almost as if it is the culmination of the Irish Pub Year.

First of all the staff and volunteer staff have to be mentioned and thanked for their hard work and dedication to the day and to the pub. So Catherine, Dean, Diarm, Liam, Geza, Jessie, Max, Jim, Tommy, Katie, Scott, Will, Jeff, Fausto, Hunter, Mrs. Duddy, Amanda, and Kristin, without all of your help we could not do St. Patrick's Day.

Also thanks to my family members who made long journeys to join us for the day. Conor and Dolly came from Fenit County Kerry with their friends Mike and Katie and all four made great new friends at the bar. Siobhan, Frank and Gary came from Dublin, and its always such a pleasure to share a pint with Frank and Siobhan, my sister. Siobhan celebrated her birthday while she was here and Frank and I took her to Foley's in Boston where they treated us very well and the pint was very good, so when in Boston, visit J.J. Foley's.

My brother John and his beautiful wife Katrina also joined us from Dubai. Again they quickly made many friends at the pub and some people are now planning a trip to Dubai to visit him. It was especially nice to spend time with Katrina and John after St. Patrick's Day, when we could relax and talk of ordinary things.

Last mention goes to Thomas Hogan, from Tiperary, who was with us for two weeks. Tom was loved by all and inspired all by the way he was willing to help. Thank you Tom, and thanks to my sister Amber, Tommy's wife who was good enough to let him visit with us for the holiday.

And without you the customers, it would be no fun, so to all that showed up thank you. I hope you did not wait too long to get a pint.

The day itself was bright and sunny and the parade made it seem even brighter and sunnier. Lots of smiles all along State Street. Beautiful children sitting on the sidewalk waving flags, senior citizens on the steps of City Hall, the helicopter leading us off, the New London Pipers, the Local Police, the State Police, the Emerald Society, the National Guard, the Carpenter's Union, Jibboom Club, Rugby Club, Mystic Pipe and Drum, New London High School Marching band, they were all greatly enjoyed.

Ours is definitly not the biggest parade but its got soul. How can I even mention the parade without thanking Abbey and Thor? Many times I wanted to say "Forget about this, nobody cares, why should we bother?" but these two kept going against all sorts of obstacles to see it through.

On the march, they both were smiling proudly as they witnessed the crowds that came out and stood there cheering them. For their efforts they received nothing and they asked for nothing, and they want to do it again next year. I can not say enough about these two people, to say thank you just seems not enough.

We did have sponsors for the parade, because it does cost quite a bit of money to put this event together. Thank you to Mike Buscetto, Levine Distributors of Norwich, Carpenter's Local Union, and pwop.net. Mike Buscetto, your help and guidance (and sponsorship) went a long way to make this happen. New London, New London, New London, the little town that wouldn't die, why would you not sponsor the parade in your own town? Are we not big enough, are you unwilling to bet on the town where your business is? If you don't believe in it what chance do we have, and why do you even stay here? Move to the place where you sponsor their parade.

Yes, we have our parade on St. Patrick's Day, be it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Just like the city its all real here for better or for worse. We have great ideas for next year and with the power of Abbey and Thor they will continue the great event it has become.

The music for the day started out with Wheelhouse. They've been together for almost a year. Gene, Carl, Amie, and Art set the bar high with good vibes. Following were Chris Castle and Tony Schaffer from Ohio, or maybe not as Hanafin's have adopted these fine musicians as our own. We can never get enough of these guys. Next up, Ryan, Brian and Flowers & Kain did not disappoint. These guys are always a crowd pleaser, and may have been the crowd favorite for the day. Even after their set people were still arriving hoping to see them, Great Job fellers, keep it up.

Addison Station, from the East Lyme area, had original songs and great covers. If you've never seen this band, pay the $5 next time they're around and enjoy.

The Franklin Brothers, with the fabulous Ian Kelly and Marci were next, and put on another great act.

Columbia Fields (from the Hartford area) played great original music, and are such great musicians we're sure they have a bright future. They are getting to be a regular act down at the pub, so come down and check them out too. We finished the night off with Elevation, Paul and the crew playing great covers of all your U2 favorites.

So another St. Patrick's Day is over, did you all enjoy yourselves? The pints flowed, the music played, the dancers danced and the parade marched. The sun shone, the helo flew; little parade, big party in a little city with a big heart. Come join us next year, the construction will be finished and we will have a beautiful entrance to State Street. We will make it shine again.

See you soon,
D.

Aliens Over Montville; Whats Going On?

2009-03-12T12:03:00.003-05:00

We had about 50 or so entries for the "name the painting" competition. Some of the names were unusual to say the least, examples of the more normal type were "The Usual Suspects," "Guinness on the Thames," "The Regulars," and "The State Street Saints."

But the artist chose that the name "The House That Hanafin Built" best suited the painting. The name was the idea of Paul Kuhler. I know Paul well but we didn't recognize his last name when the name was selected, so when he came in we were all pleased to see that it was him who had won.

Geza asked Paul for his comments and I got a quote. "After about two or three Guinness the name just came up. I have known Dio for a few years and over this time I heard many stories of the making of the pub. One of the most notable stories was how Dio placed the floor and nearly killed himself. HAHA. Another is the finish on the wood floor and the building of the bar itself, so on the night of the contest I had this going across my mind. Dio is a dreamer and has this marvelous way of getting others to grab his dream and make it happen. So the title "The House that Hanafin Build" seemed appropriate." That is the story of how Paul came up with the name.

On the same day that Paul picked up his prize, we celebrated the 50th birthday of the famous J.D. Much credit should be given to his family for the wonderful food they prepared for the occasion. Mrs. D. had made wonderful preparations including decorating the bar and making sure all was ready. But then a very unfortunate event took place, it seems as J. was heading toward his destination he noticed a bright light hovering over his vehicle, and the next thing he remembers it was 2 hours later. I told that story to Scott who was in the Army for year and has seen many an unidentified object. After a group meeting we all decided that it must have been a UFO and J. was abducted (and probed) and that the aliens had erased his memory of those two hours. I mean how else could you be two hours late to your own 50th birthday party? So if you see J. we have 30 days to question him regarding the abduction, feel free to ask him anything you want.

Are you ever ready for Saint Patrick's day? The answer is no!! So just let it happen. The music will go all day and night with no charge, so try and catch some of the great bands play here. We will be doing corned beef dinners all weekend through to the big day.

See you at the bar - D.

P.S. Almost forgot when in the bar check out J.'s hat thats on top of the vault, made of anti-abduction tin foil. J. has to wear the hat for the next thirty days to prevent a repeat abduction.

All About March

2009-03-05T05:07:00.002-05:00

March begins with a record snowfall and big crowds at Hanafin's. Last Saturday night's Rugby fundraiser was a huge success with everybody having a great time. Right now, its full steam ahead for St. Patrick's Day, and the planning is getting hectic around here. Chris Castle, Columbia Fields, Flowers and Kain, Elevation, and more will be joining us, and maybe the weather might be nice but the way things are going I won't be surprised if it snows. That got me thinking, why have a parade in March when the weather is so unpredictable?

So here's the story: The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in New York City on March 17th, 1762, while America was still a colony. They have not missed a parade since, and today New York has the world's oldest and largest. Ours may be the youngest and smallest. Each year 3 million people line the one and a half mile parade route through NYC, and the parade takes 5 hours. Each year about 3 hundred line the approx. 12 blocks to watch our parade, which lasts about 30-45 minutes.

In Ireland, St. Patrick's day is a religious holiday marking the anniversary of St. Patrick's death in the fifth century. The pubs were closed and you were required to go to Mass. In 1995, the Irish Government began a campaign to push tourism and show the rest of the world what a great festival it could be. Last year, 1 million people took part in the parade in Dublin, and about 500 were arrested. We're hoping for 500 attendees and no arrests at the New London Parade.

Our Parade will be short, with plenty of time to eat and drink. There will be music and dancers, and guest bartenders. With St. Patrick's Day right less than two weeks away, and tons of great music going on this month, its looking like March should be a great month.

Our new T-shirts are in and look great, ask the bar staff for details. I spoke to Scott Gordley (the artist who did the portrait of the regulars) and he will be picking the winning name soon. I will keep you all posted on that front. Its looking like in the end of March, we will be working with the Garde in promoting the musical "Celtic Crossroads," a group of traditional musicians from Galway, Ireland. They're well worth checking out, and we recommend you take the opportunity of having them in New London.

This weekend features the Munsell Brothers Band with Amanda on vocals, don't miss this classic rock band. Saturday night is Scratch Track from Kansas City, if you didn't see them last time they were in town, don't miss out again. Its their only show in New England.

Well, I'll see you all on the weekend, and be sure to stop in and say hello.

-D.

P.S. I was asked to record a song to go on a local album, stay tuned for more.

A recap of Saturday night.

2009-02-15T21:45:00.003-05:00

We had a great evening Saturday with the unveiling of the new portrait featuring some of the more interesting characters that frequent Hanafin's. Artist Scott Gordley provided the music with his jazz trio, and a nice crowd came to see the picture. Staff were dressed in their finest Jazz attire, and a great night was had by all.

So with February almost half over and March fast approaching, what is next?

Somebody still needs to name the painting, please submit your entries at the bar. This coming weekend, we have Addison Station Friday night followed by Columbia Fields Saturday night. If you want to see and hear an all original band Columbia Fields is it, so come on down and support the local musicians. The next weekend Friday features 2 Cat Zoo and on Saturday night Danny Dodge and Jordin Charles.

On Wednesday nights, we are still doing Drinko, which is always a fun night out with Jackie Steele and Hanafin's own Jimbo Slice Kelly.

In March, D2, myself, and others will be traveling to Boston to see the Pogues. I recently made a donation to a school in Kilbarron Co Tipperary that is being built for kids with special needs. My brother John also made a donation.

Shane McGowan was on hand in Tipperary for this fundraiser and had some very special editions issued by his record company for the occasion. We were lucky enough to get one signed by Shane for the pub. So today, the 15th, I spoke with Shane's father Maurice McGowan and he was generous enough to ask me and D2 to attend the Boston show as guests. So maybe me and D2 will get to meet the man himself.

So there are obviously lots of upcoming events to look forward to, so stay tuned and I will keep you informed on the details.

P.S. This week I should have the new T-shirts ready, so with that, I sign off.

-D.

The Tradition of The Perfect Pint

2009-02-06T12:50:00.004-05:00

I remember growing up in Dublin in the 60s and 70s my father worked for the Racing Board (horse racing) and he and his co-workers were pint drinkers (as most Irish men were back then.) I remember going into pubs with him; places like Gaffneys on Fenien St, the White Horse on the Quays and most interesting was a place called the Confession Box on Marlborough Street (still there.) The men would always talk about the pint and some places were not frequented because they did not do right by the pint.

After I went to work with my father and brother and Uncle and Cousins (family tradition) we traveled all over Ireland to race meetings and after (and sometimes before and during) the races, the lads would find the best place for a pint. They were pint aficionados and no matter how busy the pub was, the pint had to be allowed to settle and be presented properly.

So with that tradition ingrained in me, I left the horse racing business. I didn’t last long in a job you were supposed to keep for life. America was calling and I wanted to see the world, and I did.

So it was no surprise that when I finished with the military and bought the Pub, my main objective was to make a place where pint drinkers would come to sample the Guinness, meet their friends, socialize and relax. My first attempts at getting the Guinness right were not good, although everybody said the Guinness was great. I knew it was not what I wanted: everyday, consistently good, was what I wanted.

So my good friend Joe and I went sampling all over America, but we kept getting drawn back to J.P. Clarks in New York. An old school Irish pub, with great bartenders and consistently great pints. These guys were extremely helpful to me and allowed me to examine their set up from tap to basement, I took notes and on one of my many trips home to visit my mother and father, I saw a Guinness Quality Control van parked outside the Station House in Raheny (formerly the Manhattan). So I pulled over and spoke with the Guinness Quality man for an hour while Catherine waited in the car (she’s so patient); again I took notes.

Finally back in New London, my Guinness Quality Control team decided to go with zero chemicals on glasses. We all felt that a residue was left by the chemicals. We wash the glasses at 180 deg; thereby disinfecting them without the use of any chemicals. Our Guinness is always served in a room temperature 20 oz tulip glass. Proper glasses should be the norm not the exception. This will ensure the beautiful cascade and off-white head. Next, the bartender must be knowledgeable about Guinness and always use the two pour method allowing the pint to settle. There are other details involved like cleaning the line, but I won't bore you with me too many details. We strive to make sure the pint of Guinness you receive at Hanafin's is the very best you can get.

I’ll never forget the real Dubliners who were friends and drinking companions of my father Con Hanafin. People like Mike Shannon, Billy Bruin, Paddy McGill, Paddy Gallagher, Brian O'Connor, J.J. Murray, Pierce Fennell and of course Pat Dunne in Flynns of Borrisokane. Recently my brother met one of the few still alive and he remarked to Pat that they had the greatest job in the world; traveling Ireland, drinking pints and watching horse racing. Hard to beat that.

So cheers to all the above, so long as we have good friends, good Guinness and a good pub, the tradition goes on. Oh yea and as they say to the man on the door; Scott, Jim and Max, “I know the owner." It's all true.
See ya
D.

News from the Pub

2009-01-28T17:11:00.008-05:00

Geza has hit the deck running, making changes and reorganizing the pub. The website is a good example and Thor at Pyramid Marketing, www.pyramidmdt.com have been keeping it up to date with shows, and the new menu, so keep up the Good work Geza!

Dean has taken over the Hanafin's Pub kitchen and is really putting out some very nice specials. We are also featuring Tony D's fabulous cheese cakes, so if you are in try a slice of Tony's Cheesecake.

On the music front, we have been in touch with Damien Dempsey's manager and we are told that Damien will not be in the US in 2009 but will definitely play Hanafin's in 2010. We responded that if there is anything we could do to change his mind we would do it, so make sure you send Damien a message to come to New London and play Hanafin's Pub.

With 2008 history, I thought I might pass a thank you to all my friends in the military. I recently reconnected with my shipmates from 20 years past, and even some from boot camp.

From the USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) I attended a twenty year reunion and it was very special, Dente Poland is now a close friend and regular at the pub. Dente wants to try and organize an event in May, so watch out Plankowners.

The following is a list of commands I was attached to at one time or another:

Company C114, Fletcher Christian thanks for the hello. I hope all is well with you.

Precom Det in Norfolk, Lexington Hall Barracks, anybody remember Chief Winchester? Precom Leyte Gulf, Home base is now Hanafin's Irish Pub in New London, CT

VFA-203 Blue Dolphins, I was with them for about 5 min, "but that's another story"

VP-49 The world famous "Woodpeckers" P3's decommissioned that squadron.

Sub Base New London ( I peaked there).

So, hello to all, let me know how you all are doing. Major Flaherty, Diamond Dave and crew, Fly Low and Fast. We have not forgotten you and the sacrifice you are making for us. Lt. Matt O. remember that failure is not an option. When the going gets tough, we all, that's me and Scott will be there for you.

To Capt Sinnet, Officers and Crew of the USCG Barque Eagle, We appreciate your support and friendship and wish you all a successful 2009.

All this reminiscing makes me thirsty, "Pint of Guinness, Please" and thats how you end or start a great story.

Till Next Week!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-15T14:21:00.006-05:00

Christmas has passed and we usher in a new year. Cold weather and hard times start off the new year, however, we at Hanafin's wish all our customers a happy and healthy new year. There is no better way to get through these hard times than with a group of friends and a pint at the pub.
Thank you all for making Hanafin's the best Irish pub in the area. We are happy to announce that Hanafin's has been voted Best Pint of Guinness in SECT. Guinness will be throwing a celebratory party here at Hanafin's, come down for your chance to win a trip for two to Ireland.

The party is set for January 30th, so come down and have a great time even if you don't win the trip. You'll still get the best pint in Connecticut.

We also would like to congratulate Geza Tanner on his recent promotion to full time Manager. Geza is well known and liked by all the customers for his consistent service behind the bar, and we are very happy to have him leading our crew.

Another Big Win For New London Rugby Club, 93 to 8 vs Harvard Business School

2008-10-28T11:43:00.004-05:00

New London played their best Rugby of the year against Harvard Business School.

From the start, all fundamentals of the game were in New London's favor.
Great games from Tim Johnson, Captain and Scrum half, controlled the game and had kicks for converted points from all angles of the field... Not to mention the wind was a huge factor.

Eric Booth, inside center had two "trys" (Scores), and really set the pace for the back line.

Eric Knepper, the teams hooker set the stage for the forwards. Through excellent line-outs, great job hooking the ball in the scrum, and had some of the best "hard nosed" rugby; (Great rucking, great tackling and great runs.)

Outside center, Louis Zubek had the best play in the history of the club! He broke three tackles, chipped a kick over the defender and was able to pass the ball to Josh Borrows, who passed to Eric Booth for the easy score. 80 meters in a couple of seconds. INCREDIBLE!!

Overall a friendly match, New London go the early lead and never stopped!

Last Home Game 11/1/08 at 1:00 Clark Lane Middle School in Waterford, CT

Written by Mike Keltner Posted by Thor Torgersen

New London Rugby Club Shuts Down Northshore "58 - 5" Celebration at Hanafins Pub

2008-10-18T15:34:00.011-05:00

It was a great party as the Hanafin's sponsored New London Rugby Club, celebrated their victory over the Northshore Rugby Club. The boys put in a fine showing with a 58 to 5 beating to the Boston area team.

Club members Eric "Booter" Booth and Richard "Dicky" Dickerson put in fine showings ad healping lead the team to victory with great efforts by everyone. Both clubs put in a fine game and everyone joined in for the festivities at the pub.

New London Rugby has three games left on the season and plays Saturdays at Park Lane Middle School. Check out www.NLCRugby.org for more infomation.

Next game: HBS on 10/25/08 With party after at Hanafins Pub. Come join in on the fun, its a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and the pub is packed!!

Lets get Damien Dempsey to play Hanafins - New London

2008-09-01T23:45:00.003-05:00

After speaking to Damo in Rocky's in Brooklyn, we were unable to configure a time from his agent when Damo could play Hanafin's. We were going to leave it at that, and hope to get him to play here on a later tour, but then we heard about a show at the Mercury Lounge in Manhatten. We decided to go see him again, but this time we need your help!

Hey, if we show up with 50 people, they have to take us seriously. Time is of the essence here so if you would like to go see Damo live in NY and tell him about New London, lets get a bus and do a road trip up and back. We can make this happen. Call Max or me, or email us at hanafinspub@gmail.com, or myspace, or facebook, with your firm commitment. We need your support to get Damo to play New London, and help put Hanafin's on the map. Lets take New London on the road, and we will have a good time too. Its up to you, but I think we can do it.

From New London to New York

2008-08-14T18:47:00.006-05:00

We left town at 1400 to drive to New Haven, and caught the Metro North Train to Grand Central. Diarm, Will, Max, Jimmy, Joe, Catherine and Myself were on a mission to see Mr. Damien Dempsey in Red Hook a part of Brooklyn, NY. With a 12 pack in hand, we arrived in New Haven. No one drank 'til we got on the train, but then we drank. We got to New York, and were as always amazed by the vastness of the city. Its so big, with so many people, even the smell of the subway, everyone rushing everywhere, walking down the sidewalks surrounded by monsterous buildings with millions of people heading every which way. We stopped into Patrick Conway's, just outside Grand Central, but the Guinness was tangy so we only had one. We then took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge, and then grabbed taxis to Rocky Sullivan's. Arriving in Red Hook was remenicient of Dublin in the 1980's; its a good idea in the planning, but right now the area looks bleak at best. It is a place of urban decay, broken windows, broken houses and most importantly broken dreams. It looks sadly desolate now, but I'm sure it will get better.

Into Rocky's we went; exposed red brick, marble bar, barrels stood on end to greet us as we entered. It was the old school bar atmosphere, and the beer was great. Service at Rocky's was great, the waitstaff were wonderful, and good looking too. The food was fantastic, particularly the brick oven pizzas. After dinner, we moved into the back room where the Music was going to start.

Danny Burns played first, and just to hear this singer was a treat. He had great original songs sung with such power and heartfelt enthusiasm that it was a pleasure. Danny was such a nice person as well. How can you be so cool with so much talent? Danny, you have skills. New London would love to host you.

After Danny finished, the crowd slowly started to fill the music room, and then the man appeared. No fanfare, no introduction, he just showed up in a black shirt and short hair, with a big Takamine guitar and a big heart. That's how I saw Mr. Dempsey.

Ireland, Dublin, North Dublin, Raheny, Donaghameade, Killbarach, Suttan, Howth, St. Annes, The old Shilling, The Donaghameade Inn, The Cedars, Its all in the songs. I left in 1986 to join the US Navy, and I was excited to leave and start something new. Damo was 11 years old when I went through boot camp, 22 years later we would meet in Brooklyn. How strange, I lived in Donaghmeade, 109 Ardara Ave. It was a happy time, of coal deliveries and getting the bus to work in Aston Quay, but I left, and here we meet.

Max was persistant and waited to talk with Damien, I'm too old to wait for anybody, but Max said hold on so I did, and we finally got to speak with Mr. Damo- and you know what? He is just the same as he is when he sings, enthusiastic, energetic and his core of music is what drives him. I'm sure the ballads intrigue him (he should meet my mother, she knows them all and more.) Onstage, he was a Celt with a voice, an Irishman with a voice and a Dubliner with a voice, and if you ever get to meet him a very nice person who has time for all.

He finished his set and left, no person present could have asked for more. He put 200% into his performance as he always does. We submitted our request for Damo to come and play for our American audience at Hanafin's. And we have a dressing room with a BAR. The ball's in your court Damo.

PS. I'll take you for a ride in the new Challenger.

Small Parade Big Party

2008-02-20T23:18:00.004-05:00

We begin 2008 in good form, our new T shirts have arrived and the pub quiz is still a great hit. We are also working on a new game standby for details to be released soon …
We are very close to getting our challenge coins for Hanafins and this will be a very unique item as we have limited production to 100. We will be asking for a donation
for the coin and we will be using that money to fund a proposed trip to the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Spring. We will decide how much the donation should be when the coins come in.

Last St Patricks Day we had a small parade this year we would like to make it a little bit bigger. I have asked general groups to attend and I ask you or your group to think about marching. Although there has not been a St Patrick's Day parade in New London we could soon start a nice tradition with our very own parade. We would of course hold it on St Patricks Day. All suggestions, ideas and help would be greatly accepted.

The Pint is still the best at Hanafins, compare our pint to anywhere else and you will see why we take such pride in our Guinness..

Diarmuid Hanafin

First word back from overseas.

2007-03-20T16:19:00.000-05:00

After months of looking at all the donated goods that people brought in, we finally got them sent to our troops. In less than 5 days. I got an e-mail saying thank you for the package from some of the troops in Afghanistan. It was a surprise to hear back so quick and it seems they received all the goods we sent. So, our perseverence paid off in the end, many thanks to all of you who made this all possible. Today is the 20th of March, the Tuesday after Saint Patricks day. We had great crowd, even though the weather did not cooperate, Flowers and Kain played a great set and a good time was had by all. The weather prevented the tent being set up so I am thinking August would be a great time for tent outside the pub, so, i will work on that. Time is coming for the boats to go back in the water, it would be nice to see them off Ocean Beach, anybody interested please contact us at the pub 437 9724. Please check out the photos attached, They were taken by Staff Sargent Joe Phaneuf who was killed in action in Afganistan Thursday, December 14th 2006. We will mat and frame four of these pictures to hang in the Pub. I would like to hang them all so we dont forget the sarcrefice others are making. I look forward to the time when we dont have to send care packages any more.
DH

Road Trip to Afghanistan

2007-02-26T17:49:00.000-05:00

This past week we decided that if we were ever to get all the donated goods to our troops in Afghanistan, we had better do it ourselves. That being said we contacted DHL and they gave us a price. I spent monday afternoon making up packages, that included popcorn, slim-jims, candy, toothpaste, toothbrushes, batteries, tee shirts, black tape, lip balm, wipes, cheese crackers, peanuts, compasses, brownies, and more tee shirts. At the time of this writing I still had not finished. I am about 80% done, I still have a lot of stuff to package. The thought of our troops opening these packages in Afghanistan and finding all these home treats makes me persevere. We were told by DHL that they would be delivered in 5 days, so 5 days and our troops can see what we collected in  November, we have tried every contact, including the Government, National Guard, Red Cross, ect, but no help was forthcoming, so we are doing this on our own. Here we are, ready to go. Hopefully by the next blog will be able to tell you of our successful delivery to Afghanistan. So, if you stop by the pub enquire from the bartender if  Diarmuid Hanafin has finished the job.

The Great Hanafin's Guinness Toast

2007-02-17T18:32:00.000-05:00

Friday the 16th of feb was the first ever Guinness toast at Hanafins, t shirts and other Guinness stuff was given out to our wonderfull customers. New London legand John Duddy was toast master, and at the designated hour he read the toast and all glasses of guinness were raised, all this took place as the great band from Boston Los Diablos won the crowd over. Josh Leaderman and the lads played 3 blistering sets, we look forward to St. Patricks day as Los Diablos will once again play for their New London fans. Also on St. Patricks, we will have the Hoolies and the hip ceile band so it should be a good show. The new Hanafins scorecards are now being given to customers make sure you ask for yours.

Thirsty Bloaks Head to Hanafins

2007-02-13T19:13:00.000-05:00

Work lets out and everyone heads to the pub

The Hanafin's Sign

2007-02-08T14:42:00.000-05:00