By Nanette Light The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — “Wow” — One three-letter word was all Jeff Stewart, owner of O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille, could muster as he watched the historic Norman landmark — frequented by Sooner fans on game days since 1968 — crash to the ground Tuesday along Lindsey Street.
“That’s something,” said Stewart, the pub’s owner since 1979, as the bulldozer seemingly bit into the front wall which, after 20 minutes, rested in a crumbled heap, now only a memory.
A crowd of onlookers — some University of Oklahoma students and longtime O’Connell’s patrons, many of whom stopped to shake Stewart’s hand or pat him on the back — shielded their eyes from the flying dust, stirred by Tuesday’s blowing wind, as they watched a piece of history fall.
As the pieces came to the ground, trombone player Andy Kooiman played “Taps” as an ode to the bar.
“It’s been here for (43) years. I haven’t been here that long. ... I’m just sad to see it go. It’s a good piece of history,” said Michael Barber, OU engineering student, as he leaned back on his motorcycle opposite of the pub along Lindsey Street, waiting for the demolition to begin.
O’Connell’s, along with the neighboring strip of stores such as Subway and a filling station, are being torn down as part of an OU expansion, which University President David Boren said earlier will include a mix of retail and student housing space.
Several years ago, Stewart opened a second location on Campus Corner after the university bought the original location’s land.
And since then, residents have had their pick between two O’Connell’s. But now, it’s down to one.
“I can’t believe it is like it is, but it’s time to go,” Stewart said, adding that the original O’Connell’s — of which he kept the front window and stained glass that once hung behind the bar for sentiments — will always be “dear” to him.
He said gameday festivities will continue as usual, just a few miles north.
“We’re going to rock and sock them on Campus Corner,” Stewart said.
Nanette Light 366-3541 nlight@normantranscript.com
3 comments:
We've got a great Irish pub in our area, called Kelly's. I'd be sad if they closed. Is the other O'Connell's close to you?
Diane - I don't live in Norman anymore, so it's just as close.
The old O'Connell's had a lot of sentimental value to me. For a while I worked the night shift on a psych ward and a few of us (workers not patients) would always go drink free green beer on St. Patrick's day. All the other people would be slowly sipping the beer at 8:00 in the morning but to us it was like 6:00pm so we were putting it away, good times.
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