Dooley's Pub From the Ground Up
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Dooley's Pub is locally owned and operated by Jennifer & Michael Dooley, dba Dooley's Pub, Inc. Both Jennifer and Michael graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 1991. The Dooley's have lived in Eau Claire as a family for approximately 17 years. They are the proud parents of four wonderful children and have strong roots in Eau Claire. Owning a restaurant/pub has been a lifelong dream for them. They both had the wonderful experience of working on Water St while attending the University. Jenny was a bartender at Pioneer Tavern, thanks Paul (she's on the bartender wall of fame as Jennifer Del Bianco). Mike was fortunate enough to have worked at Pioneer for a summer and then he moved on to the Old Home, where Elvis was the King (now called the Pickle).
The opportunity to try their hand at restaurant ownership was preceded by the unfortunate loss of a Water St icon, the Camaraderie. The Cam burned down in January of 2001. The Dooley's decided to purchase the empty lot in August of 2003. From that point on the decision was made to proceed with building plans. Everything took hold in May of 2004 when the local firm of Lien & Peterson Architects began designing the current building. Royal Construction was then signed on as the General Contractor and thing s really picked up speed. From the ground breaking in May of 2005 until the doors opening in October 2005.
We hope that you will stop by and give us a chance to be your restaurant/pub of choice. We'd like to thank you in advance for giving us the opportunity.
Slainte (pronounced slahn-chuh). To your health or Cheers!
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What's up with the logo? Why the heart and hands? It's a Claddagh! The Irish symbol for Love, Friendship, and Loyalty! Our logo was developed and designed by Michael Rosen and Christian Dooley( a couple of good Irish Lads).
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The hands are there for friendship, The heart is there for love. For loyalty through out the years, The crown is raised above.
There are several forms of symbolism about the Claddagh ring; depending on which hand it is worn.
Worn on the right hand with the heart turned outwards (point outward), the world will know that the heart has not yet been won. Worn on the right had with the heart turned inwards (point inwards), it shows that friendship and love is being considered. Worn on the left hand with the heart turned inwards (point inwards), it means that two loves have joined forever.
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Misty fables surround one of Ireland's unique treasures, "The Claddagh" a
symbol of Love, Friendship and loyalty.
Some 400 years ago in a fishing village called Claddagh overlooking Galway
Bay, close to the city of the Tribes, lived Richard Joyce a Master Goldsmith. It
was he who crafted this now famous design that has become part of the IRISH
heritage.
The Claddagh Ring belongs to a widespread group of finger rings called Fede or
"Faith rings" which date from Roman times. They are distinguished by having
the bezel cut or cast in the form of two clasped hands, symbolizing faith, trust
or "plighted troth". Fede rings were popular in the Middle Ages throughout
Europe, and there are examples from this time in the National Museum of
Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin. The "Claddagh" ring is a particularly distinctive
ring; two hands clasp a heart surmounted by a crown.
The ring worn on the right hand, crown turned inward tells your heart is yet
unoccupied, worn with the crown turned outwards reveals love is being
considered. Worn on the left hand the crown turned outward shows all, your
heart is truly spoken for.
W. Dillon in his publication on "The Claddagh Ring" in the Galway Archaeological
Society Journal, Vol. IV, 1905-6, defines the limits over which the ring is worn
as roughly from the Aran Islands on the West, and through all Connemara and
Joyce Country to Galway, and then eastward and southward for not more
than 12 miles at most. The whole district is the one served by fisher folk of the
Claddagh village just outside the city of Galway, but became known as the
Claddagh ring probably because of the proximity to the city of the large
Claddagh fishing community using the ring alone.
Huge numbers of Claddagh rings were left with a Mr. Kirwan following the
Great Famine 1846/7 which finally had to be consigned to the melting pot as
there was nobody to redeem or purchase them, hence the difficulty in
ascertaining their origin.
Dillon describes some early rings, one with a mitre-like crown, rings made
from coins, an analogous ring from Brittany, a "Munster" ring, also Spanish
rings with some similarities. He tells us that the Claddagh ring was the only
ring ever made in Ireland worn by Queen Victoria and later by Queen
Alexandra and King Edward VII. Their rings were made by Dillons of Galway,
established in 1750, to which the Royal Patent was granted and the tradition
has been carried on at Dillons to this day. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of
Monaco in 1962 were presented with gifts embodying the Claddagh ring motif
set in Connemara marble.
In 1984 when Galway celebrated its Quincentennial as a Mayoral City, the
people of Galway presented a specially commissioned 18 carat gold Claddagh
ring to President Ronald Reagan.
The earliest examples of Claddagh rings that can be dated are stamped with RI,
the mark of Richard Joyce, a goldsmith working in Galway circa 1689-1737, of
the Joyce Tribe, one of the renowned "Fourteen Tribes of Galway" City.
According to Dr. Kurt Ticker in "The Claddagh Ring - A West of Ireland Folklore
Custom" (1980) interest in Claddagh rings became dormant after Richard
Joyce ended his manufacturing career in the 1730s, and it was revived a
generation or more later, probably by George Robinson (Dillon in fact had
attributed the earliest ring to Robinson). From then on a number of Galway
goldsmiths and jewelers of Galway made Claddagh rings. Their early
manufacture was by cuttle-bone mould casting, then the cire perdue or "lost
wax" process up to the 1840s, when manufacture became commercialized.
Some Marks on Claddagh Rings from the latter part of the 17th to the early
part of the 18th century.
CLADDAGH JEWELERS AND THEIR MARKS
MARK JEWELER
RI RICHARD JOYCE, GALWAY
GR GEORGE ROBINSON, GALWAY
AR ANDREW ROBINSON, GALWAY
NB NICHOLAS BURDGE, GALWAY
F AUSTIN FRENCH, GALWAY
JD RD WD DILLON
JS JOHN SHADWELL
TH unknown
The Origins of the Claddagh Ring even yet remains a matter for conjecture,
both popular stories of its origins attribute it to the Joyce family of Galway
City. The two stories are as follows.
The first story says that a Margaret Joyce married Domingo de Rona, a
wealthy Spanish merchant who traded with Galway. They proceeded to Spain,
where he died, leaving her a considerable fortune. Returning to Galway she
used her fortune to build bridges from Galway to Sligo, and re-married Oliver
Og French, Major of Galway 1596/7. She was rewarded for her good works
and charity by an eagle that dropped the original Claddagh ring into her lap.
Or:
The story of the Claddagh is one of the most beautiful sentiments to come from
the Irish culture. The story began about 5 centuries ago in the fishing village of
Claddagh, just outside the city of Galway.
One fateful day, a young man was at sea with other men from his family in
their small boat, when suddenly a Spanish pirate ship appeared. The men knew
they were doomed. The pirates captured the men from Claddagh and brought
them to the far off North coast of Africa and sold them into slavery for what
would surely be the rest of their lives.
However, the story can't end there...
Richard, the youngest of those captured, was the most distraught. All the men
had left loved ones behind. However, Richard had only just come to know what
true love was, and now, to have it stolen away! Well, the years passed. Some of
the men died. Others accepted their fate.
However, young Richard yearned each day as he toiled in slavery to return to
his village and his beloved far away.
Each day he stole a small speck of gold from his wicked masters goldsmith shop
where he was forced to tend the fires. After a number of years, he was able to
fashion a ring. He hoped and prayed that some day he would be able to bring the
ring to his true love. It is not really known now whether young Richard
escaped or earned his release from slavery. In any case, the day finally came
and Richard began his long journey to the island in the North Atlantic known to
us as Ireland and to Richard as home.
When Richard finally completed his journey he was overjoyed to learn that
love was true and that his Colleen had prayed and waited faithfully for his
return. It was on this day that he presented her with the ring that is now
known in each corner of the world as the Claddagh Ring.

