Somerville's good ol' bar still knows how to pour 'em

By Andrea Gregory

It’s Friday night, and Davis Square’s happening nightlife scene is just getting started. Couples walk hand-in-hand down the street. Groups of city dwellers travel in packs, heading out to a favorite bar or two.

Davis Square was not always such a lively hot spot for weekend recreation. And one little bar has seen all the changes.

Sligo’s Pub, a narrow, one-room watering hole on Elm Street, has been around for decades, before a T came to Davis Square and possibly before prohibition ended, according to the current owner. Going on 75 or more years in operation, there seems to be a mystical draw that has kept new crowds discovering and frequenting the old bar. Perhaps the $2 drafts have something to do with it.  According to the bartender, a few hundred of those are served on a typical Friday night.

It was a local joint for the local people coming in,” says Tom Mannion, who took over the bar in 1989.

He said there was a couple from Sligo, Ireland who owned it before him. Mannion decided to keep the name even though over the years, a variety of Irish names have been attached to the bar. Even with the name changes and ownership changes the bar is still operating off the original liquor license, renewed several times over, he says.

“This place has quite the history – oldest license, same address, same license. It’s amazing when you think about it,” he says with a thick Irish accent.

The bar has pretty much maintained its original character. Minimal upgrades have been done as needed, but the back half of the room is covered in a build up of graffiti. Patrons have notoriously carved their names, initials and whoever they love at the time into the walls and the thick wooden tables past the jukebox, which marks the bar’s halfway point.

A regular of the bar says his name is somewhere. He looks for a while, but abandons his search by the time he needs to refresh his drink.

Over at the bar, three friends cheers their pint glasses. Jen Gaipo, Jen Willsea and Janelle Forbes were lucky enough to snag bar stools on a weekend night. Heading in on the early side is key to getting good seats.

The trio of 20-something girls describes the bar as cozy and unique compared to the trendy other options that are newcomers compared to Sligo’s. They use the term “dive bar,” but say it in a good way.

“If I was going to go to a bar in Davis Square, this is the only bar I’d go to,” says Willsea.

“Stick with what got you here,” says Michael Wooldrige, pouring a draft beer.

Wooldridge has been pouring drinks behind the Sligo’s bar for 14 years ago. His mother was a bartender here and his dad was a regular. He says the clientele has changed a bit with the times on weekend night, but it’s not a rowdy crowd, just people having a good time at a local pub. There are no frills at Sligo’s, just cold beers and friendly smiles, he says.

“You are not paying for atmosphere, you are paying for the experience,” he says. “This is the end result.”

The humble approach seems to work.

“It’s a dive bar, but it’s great,” says Matt Levy, 29, picking up a miller light from the end of the bar.

“I love it. It’s fun. We’re all having a good time,” says Colleen Kehoe, 22, who just moved to the area.

Sligo’s might not be the most noticeable landmark in Davis Square, but for those who know it’s there, it’s a staple.

Matt Champagne has worked at the bar for several years. He has since married the owner’s daughter. The young couple plays an active role in what has become a family business.

“The place is very unique. That’s what everyone loves about it,” says Champagne. “We haven’t done anything. Everything else has changed.”

As the night goes on, the space fills up, but there is still room for the late arrivals.

“Things have changed, Sligo’s has always stayed the same,” says Andrew Horan on his way in to Sligo’s Friday night scene. “I really do think Sligo’s is a great place. It has lasted the longest.”

Comments

[Derek]

The worst part about Sligo is the bathroom location. Right smack dab in the middle of the bar. I've been in there 5 times and 4 of those times it was absolutely horrid smelling.

[Ron Newman]

What was this bar called before it was Sligo?

[Matt]

It's improved markedly over the past year.. not quite as depressing

[Ron Newman]

The Sligo's façade got quite a makeover a few years ago, when neighboring storefronts were rebuilt.

[jimmy]

It sucks now. the place is camp. Too many yuppies and dingle berries trying to play tough guy.

[Lydia]

Those two people who owned The Sligo Pub first where my grandmother and a very close family friend, Mary Byrne and Joe Branly. They named it The Sligo Pub from the begging.