The Irish Lion Restaurant & Pub building was designed and used as a Pub & Inn in 1882. The building was originally a bar and a hotel (with benefits) in the late eighteen hundreds. Mr. Zimri McCollough, an early settler of the county (History of Lawrence and Monroe Counties, 1914) and the builder of the Irish Lion building, had an active part in all affairs affecting the welfare of the community and was held in high esteem among his associates. In business, he was successful having been a livery man most of his active life. He built the current building to cater to the public and passengers of the former Monon Train Depot across the street (now known as the B-Line Trail). The businesses opened were the “Worley Tavern” and the”Hotel Bundy European” upstairs.
In the following 96 years, the main level has been predominantly a tavern with billiard tables, in addition to providing lunch and tobacco products.”Prohibition” changed the business emphasis to billiards and tobacco sales. Mr. Lovel Burch had run the main level for most of the building’s early history up to his death in 1935. A painted mural, advertising "Lovel Burch Hotel Bundy European", as shown on some early photos of Monroe County, was located on the east side of the building. It has since weathered away and only some fragments of a “Mail Pouch Tobacco” advertisement, added much later, remain. What has become the more memorable of services of the hotel was not only providing a bed for the weary traveler, but a companion for the evening, if so desired (Sorry, this service is no longer available).
"Lovel Burch Hotel Bundy European"
From 1935 to 1957, an array of taverns and billiard establishments came and went, a dark era for the building, as we have been told by some customers from the day. Fights inside and outside were a common occurrence, some with fatal results. Ghost stories are common, as with many old pubs, but a pint or two may have helped to exaggerate the stories. Bartenders are asked at closing to leave a shot of whiskey at the end of the bar to appease the departed. From 1957 to 1968, the main level housed “Hinkle’s Lunch Restaurant” and the upstairs was vacant. In 1969, The “Kirkwood Bar”, a popular local”gay” bar at the time, occupied the main level. It closed its doors in 1978.
The Chieftains, Sean Keane and Matt Molloy, sitting in with Paddy O’Brien, upstairs at the Irish Lion. Playing traditional tunes until the wee hours, fueled by pints of Guinness.
The historic photo of the Irish Lion back bar was featured regularly in the opening credits of the 80's television show “Cheers”.
Historic Photo of The Irish Lion Backbar
The mahogany back bar in the main pub is made by “Brunswick”, the same “Brunswick” of billiard table fame. This style was made from the late 1860’s to the 1880’s. At present, three others are known. They are located in Paso Robles, CA, Brookings, SD, and downtown Denver, CO. The back bar was previously located in a pub in Indianapolis at the corner of East St. and Washington. The oak back bar, located upstairs, is circa 1910 and was originally from Rushville, Indiana. There are two sections of the downstairs front bar (where one rests their feet & pints). The base of the bar with the scrolled areas came from Vincennes, Indiana and dates to the 1850‘s. The bar top and two end sections came from English, Indiana and are later, around 1880. Once used as a woodwork bench, some old drill bit marks are still visible in in the top today.
In 1882, Bloomington had no gas lines, water lines or electricity. The ceiling in the pub area was originally embossed wallpaper with hanging kerosene lights. Gas arrived close to 1900 at which time the metal ceilings and gaslights were installed. Metal ceilings were decorative, attempting to mimic decorative plaster ceilings of the day, but were not installed in buildings at this time primarily for decoration, rather to create a fire barrier for the hanging gaslight fixtures. The diamond shaped panels running along the center of the ceiling indicate where the main fixtures were mounted. You can see the ends of two of these gas tubes, although not in a diamond panel, protruding out of the ceiling in the foyer.
The decorative double doors and the surrounding woodwork at the front entrance are original to the building. The stained glass of that same period was acquired in Indianapolis, having been added in 1982. The woodwork on the main floor is mostly oak and the upstairs is American Gumwood. The figural wall tile in the vestibule is original and was duplicated on the other side. It fell victim to vandalism during restoration but now has some vintage replacement tiles. The original floor downstairs was made from tongue and groove American Gumwood planks. Typically, the crawl space under the floor had aeration wells running from the front to the rear of the building. When the city put in all concrete sidewalks, they were unfortunately much higher than the original brick sidewalks, the air wells were blocked off, leading to a build-up of humidity which rotted the floor joists; subsequently the floor was replaced by a concrete slab over which a parquet tile floor was then installed.
The upstairs of the Irish Lion originally had a separate entrance in the front. A wall ran from the front vestibule, which we now use as the entrance, then along the stairs from the main floor. When you are at the top of the stairs, the path to the rear of the building is on the left, along the old hallway in the days when it was the hotel and the rooms were on the right. A wooden molding on the ceiling shows where the wall used to be. Instead of central heating, each of these rooms had a wood stove. You may notice that along the wall with the windows, there are areas protruding with a circular disk covering a hole where a stovepipe entered the chimney. The chimney tops remain visible to this day on the outside edge of the roof.
The front room, what is now called the “Celtic Room”, is unique. There are two very large sliding doors built into the wall that were closed for privacy. The doors remain, although the tracks from which they hang do not function. Some believe that this was the “House Madam” room.
Ice House structure during modern day renovation.
The building was originally 80 feet long with a 53 foot courtyard. The courtyard contained a large water cistern with a 22 by 15 foot icehouse to the rear. Although the water cistern has since been filled, the icehouse structure remains. It is four bricks thick with an air space in the center and had a hayloft above for insulation. We take advantage of this quality of construction today by using the same area, with a modern walk-in installed inside, for refrigeration. The courtyard was bricked in and is now used as the kitchen. Brick sidewalks with limestone curbstones were original in design, although the curbstones have given way to concrete. The curbstones were made in the local stone mills, of which Bloomington had many. Just as the bricks likely were from Bloomfield, similar to an embossed brick in the sidewalk in front of the Irish Lion. It was rescued by Sheaghan McConnaughy, during the latest improvements made to the sidewalks and street on Kirkwood.
The sidewalk, alley and Kirkwood Avenue were much lower in the 1880’s. This may be seen outside by noticing that the bottoms of the alley side doors are level with the alley. They have a step, but these are buried under the modern asphalt. The rainwater drained toward the rear of the building through a channel in the center of the brick alley and then into the perpendicular alley. Today, rainwater flows in the opposite direction toward Kirkwood Ave.
If you or someone you know have any stories or facts regarding the history of the building, please email: history@irishlion.com
The Irish Lion Restaurant & Pub building was designed and used as a Pub & Inn in 1882. The building was originally a bar and a hotel (with benefits) in the late eighteen hundreds. Mr. Zimri McCollough, an early settler of the county (History of Lawrence and Monroe Counties, 1914) and the builder of the Irish Lion building, had an active part in all affairs affecting the welfare of the community and was held in high esteem among his associates. In business, he was successful having been a livery man most of his active life. He built the current building to cater to the public and passengers of the former Monon Train Depot across the street (now known as the B-Line Trail). The businesses opened were the “Worley Tavern” and the”Hotel Bundy European” upstairs. 
From 1935 to 1957, an array of taverns and billiard establishments came and went, a dark era for the building, as we have been told by some customers from the day. Fights inside and outside were a common occurrence, some with fatal results. Ghost stories are common, as with many old pubs, but a pint or two may have helped to exaggerate the stories. Bartenders are asked at closing to leave a shot of whiskey at the end of the bar to appease the departed. From 1957 to 1968, the main level housed “Hinkle’s Lunch Restaurant” and the upstairs was vacant. In 1969, The “Kirkwood Bar”, a popular local”gay” bar at the time, occupied the main level. It closed its doors in 1978.
The upstairs of the Irish Lion originally had a separate entrance in the front. A wall ran from the front vestibule, which we now use as the entrance, then along the stairs from the main floor. When you are at the top of the stairs, the path to the rear of the building is on the left, along the old hallway in the days when it was the hotel and the rooms were on the right. A wooden molding on the ceiling shows where the wall used to be. Instead of central heating, each of these rooms had a wood stove. You may notice that along the wall with the windows, there are areas protruding with a circular disk covering a hole where a stovepipe entered the chimney. The chimney tops remain visible to this day on the outside edge of the roof. 
