Finn McCool's Irish Pub, New Orleans

Finn McCool's is set in a long single story wooden building in the heart of the Mid City residential neighbourhood of New Orleans, a couple of miles from the tourist hive of the French Quarter. The walls are covered in random pieces of Irish memorabilia and related paraphernalia. However, it's main claim to fame is that it is the premier pub in the city for English and Scottish football and home venue for local Celtic fans. McCool's also offers darts and scrabble nights, and a range of Irish beers and ciders (Pear Magners anyone?)

We visited on a Wednesday afternoon for a Celtic Champions league qualifying match. Only 12 people in the bar as everyone else who might have come was working. It didn't feel like we were in Ireland, but it didn't feel like we were in the USA either: rather some undefined location of postmodern sampling, both familiar and disconnecting at the same time.

Their website describe the history of the bar: 

We were born in Belfast and arrived in New Orleans in the ’90’s. The culture of New Orleans, with it’s love of food, music and family, really welcomed us and reminded us of home. In 2002 we took the plunge, bought a worn-out old bar and turned it into Finn McCool’s Irish Pub. We were slowly building a neglected part of Mid City when Hurricane Katrina hit. After returning from evacuation and taking 6 months to rebuild, with the help of our customers and friends, we reopened the doors on St Patrick’s Day 2006. Since then, the bar has become a major part of the Mid City community and won awards for “Best Bartender in New Orleans” every year since re-opening along with“Best Neighborhood Bar.” We host a variety of fund raising activities and sponsor many sports teams, including the world famous Finn McCool’s FC.

We named the Pub after Finn McCool, the legendary giant of Irish folklore, so no matter what part of the world you’re from, you’ll always find a warm welcome at Finn McCool’s