Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is renowned for its Irish pubs. Fortunately, you don’t have to visit the capital of Ireland to find a traditional Irish pub. Instead, you can visit the capital of New Jersey’s Tir na nOg located in a duplex at 1324 Hamilton Ave.
The pub, which opened in 1991, get its name from a place in Irish folklore that translates to “the land of everlasting youth.” You feel like you’re right in Ireland with the pub’s 20-plus real Irish street signs, each with their own unique backstory. Irish flags, and pieces of memorabilia celebrating all aspects of Ireland’s history, cover the walls and create that feeling of being on the North Atlantic island.
The pub maintained its strong roots even as the original owner Billy Briggs passed away, the new owners Todd and Maurine Faulkner took over, and many of the first generation Americans who made the pub their home moved out of Trenton. The pub still maintains a strong following of original and second generation Americans who frequent as well as newcomers who are always welcome. The establishment is proud to boast a consistent and friendly crowd who often buy rounds. However, it’s definitely not a “theme park” Irish pub. It’s the real deal.
Tir na nOg features live music on Fridays and Saturdays as well as open mic nights every 2nd Wednesday. They also sponsor two teams in the Greater Trenton Dart League, who play on Thursday nights and always compete for the top spots in the league. Every first Sunday they host an “Irish Session” featuring traditional Irish music played acoustically in an informal gathering from 3-6 pm.
The pub has been consistently voted one of the top 50 Irish pubs in the United States by several publications, heralded as one of the top 20 places to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, and was voted the #1 Irish pub by NJ.com for the last two years.
You can check out “the land of everlasting youth” Tir na nOg by visiting them at 1324 Hamilton Ave from 1 pm – 2 am Monday-Friday and from noon – 2 am on weekends. To learn more about their events and what’s happening, check them out online at http://trentontirnanog.com/.
