Daly's Pub goes all out for holiday

Editor's note: Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, on March 17, Destination Sandusky — a program of Greater Sandusky Partnership, serving as a Main Street organization — posted an article about Daly's Pub, an Irish-inspired bar and restaurant, in downtown Sandusky. SANDUSKY — Did you know Daly's Pub uses around 1,000 pounds of corned beef on St. Patrick's Day? Ahead of the big day, we went to downtown Sandusky's epicenter of the action and asked the Daly's crew a few questions. Read to learn more about traditions, community and fun at Daly's Pub on St. Patrick's Day below: A huge thanks to Dave Bier, Chloe, Nolan and Jill for their great responses: Q: Daly's Pub has become a go-to spot for St. Patrick's Day in Sandusky. How did the tradition start? How has the celebration grown over the years? A: The St. Patrick's Day tradition started probably before us — from when the Baxter family owned the pub in the 1980s. We bought it in 1998, and, as part of the deal, we had to do it before St. Patty's Day. Daly's Pub is not a total Irish pub, but everybody's Irish that day. Everybody comes out to celebrate, no matter the weather. It doesn't matter if it is raining, snowing or icicles are stuck to the ceiling. One year, we had the fire department down here and pulled icicles off the roof so we could open up on St. Patrick's Day. They went there with a big ladder truck and stuff. It was really cool. St. Patrick's Day at Daly's Pub is the place to be on March 17 and each year after. The staff at Daly's Pub is really the backbone of the whole St. Patrick's Day celebration. Without the flexibility, comfort and kindness of the Bier family and Daly's Pub staff, the St. Patrick's Day tradition would not be possible. Our staff is just unbelievable, and they keep pumping it up. Dave Bier speaks highly of his employees, and it is evident that the joy of St. Patrick's Day starts behind the scenes with the staff. What started decades ago has turned into a fun, high-energy and favored tradition that the whole community looks forward to each year. Daly's Pub opens bright and early at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick's Day with the party continuing into the night. Q: For someone who has never experienced St. Patrick's Day at Daly's, what makes the atmosphere here so special? A: The community is a huge part of what makes Daly's so special. All the people who come down here just (want) to have a good time. The atmosphere at Daly's Pub on St. Patrick's Day is all about people enjoying their time together. Guests fill the pub dressed in green while enjoying the energetic celebration that takes over the entire space. The drinks and food are also a major part of the celebration. Daly's Pub will be serving plenty of green beer, Guinness and Irish Car Bombs along with a wide variety of drink specials, like Green Tea Shots. As for the food side, guests can indulge in classics like corned beef dinners and Reubens along with creative favorites, like Reuben pizza and Reuben egg rolls, Shepherd's Pie and other specials Q: Are there any must-try drinks, food specials, or traditions that guests should not miss during the celebration? A: Daly's Pub will be leaning into the green theme for St. Patrick's Day with green tea shots, Irish car bombs and Irish beer. They are also offering Bloody Marys and Irish coffee on the weekend as an option. Daly's Pub will also be offering entertainment for its guests this year. A bagpipe performance, a DJ and caricature pictures will be there to bring even more excitement to the place. Q: What does it mean to you to host such a well-loved St. Patrick's Day tradition in the Sandusky community? A: It is just awesome. St. Patrick's Day is a holiday in the middle of the dry season for Sandusky, so the nicest thing is that guests will bounce around all of downtown and find whatever's open. It doesn't matter if it's a weekend or during the week, everybody's having fun. At the end of the day, the reason the tradition continues to thrive is simple: People come to Daly's Pub to have fun and celebrate together, because everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day.