Irish Eats & Treats In Cincinnati

Feelin' lucky? In honor of St. Patrick's Day, the Newswire has created a list of yummy eats for students interested in being festive. Learn some facts about St. Patrick and then grab dinner and a drink at one of the four Irish restaurants featured below.

Claddagh Irish Pub

• A personal favorite of mine, Claddagh offers a wide variety of traditional Irish food, drinks and occasional live entertainment. Of course, the pub would not be complete without its bar. I highly recommend the caesar salad, although the pub is known for its fish and chips.
• Where: Newport on the Levee
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday;11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

O'Charley's

• A more traditional restaurant, O'Charley's is the place for meat lovers. With a wide selection of steaks, burgers, chicken and pasta, any carnivore will love this menu. Vegetarians, beware: the menu is slim pickings for those eating meat-free.
• Where: 5075 Crookshank Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45238
• Hours: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday;11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday;11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday

O'Bryons

• This restaurant is the place for the night owl - because it is open until 2 a.m. every night - making it the perfectplace to grab a late night snack. Featuring a large menu with unique options like "Portabella Fingers," "BLT + E" and "Grilled Tuna Sandwich," O'Bryons is sure to please everyone.
• Where: 1998 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
• Hours: 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 12 p.m. - 2 a.m. Sunday

Molly Malone's Irish Pub

• This pub features a large menu with unique items like "Smashed Spuds with Guinness Gravy," "Irish Egg Rolls" and various layered potato pancakes. Feeling Italian? Molly Malone's also offers pizza. The pub hosts a trivia competition every Tuesday night and features live music on the weekends.
• Where: 6111 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
• Hours: 11 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Monday through Friday;10 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

St. Pat Facts!

1. St. Patrick was not Irish and his name was not Patrick. He was actually a British man named Maewyn Succat. At age 16 he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into Irish slavery, where he worked as a shepherd for six years. After those six years, God commanded him in a dream to escape slavery, so Maewyn sailed to Britain and became a priest named Patricius. He later returned to Ireland to Christianize the people, where he died on March 17, 461 after 30 years of evangelizing.
2. His color was blue, not green. Old Irish flags used to feature the color blue in honor of St. Patrick, but after the Irish Rebellion in 1798, the clover became Ireland's symbol for nationalism. St. Patrick also used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Soon, blue was forgotten, and green became the color associated with St. Patrick.
3. St. Patrick was not a snake chaser. According to some, St. Patrick was believed to have chased the snakes out of Ireland and into the ocean, where they all drowned. This is merely metaphorical, for St. Patrick drove the "evil pagans" and non-Christian religions out of Ireland.
4. Drinking used to be forbidden. Because St. Patrick's Day was declared a religious holiday in Ireland in 1903, all bars and pubs were forced to close down each year. It was not until 1970 that this law was repealed, making the day a national holiday and allowing people everywhere to enjoy a pint of beer in celebration.
5. Chicago dyes the river green. Each year, Chicago dyes the Chicago River green with vegetable dye in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Although the color only lasts for a few hours, the 40 pounds of vegetable dye used makes for a pretty decoration.