This Restaurant in Portland, Maine Was Put Together Using Salvaged Pieces of Old Pubs in Ireland
Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.
Portland’s Irish watering hole is more authentic than just being the local spot to ring in St. Patty’s Day with Guinness.
If you’re looking for a cozy place to grab a bite to eat and a local brew then RÍ Rá is the spot. The Portland pub is the definition of ‘pub’, bringing you back in time as soon as you step through the doors.
New spots open up around town on the daily following the strict modern vibes of open spaces, bright colors and plant décor. RÍ Rá, on the other hand, is a local staple where you can walk in and feel at home in the dark, cozy, and wooden pub.
According to their website, the word RÍ Rá comes from “RÍ Rá Agus Ruaile Buaile” which essentially means a fun or sociable activity “that improves with fine food, a nice pint of Guinness or dram of uisce beatha (whiskey).” That just about sums up the spot.
But, what makes this pub so special and authentic is the fact that the interior was actually salvaged and shipped over from Ireland.
RÍ Rá takes the décor and ambiance of a traditional pub and takes it to the next level through their “authentic salvage”, creating the restaurant using actual pieces from real traditional pubs in Ireland, the website explains.
Pubs in Ireland have traditionally been the place where locals come together and gather in small cozy bars. RÍ Rá is Portland’s extremely authentic Irish local spot.
As the website states, the back bar was salvaged from a pub in Annagassan, Co. Louth in the early 1900s; the entry doors were salvaged from Langtons Pub of Kilkenny, and the old pot belly stove was from Spike Island Prison in Cobh, Co. Cork.
So, when you walk into this Irish pub, you are really stepping foot into an Irish pub.
There’s a reason why they throw one hell of a St. Patty’s Day party.