The Legendary Tipperary (may return?)

Late July of this Summer that never happened, driving southbound on the Southfield, passing through that hellhole patch of near-barren wasteland, once where true ghetto homes stood, now many, if not most - gone. Looked up toward the service drive and there she stood – yE olde Tipperary Pub. Remember what when that thing closed? Some kind of trouble went there, a body actually was consumed by the lead of bullets. Dark clouds gathered and that place went down like Sugar Ray versus a Motor City Cobra. But, in July, there was some activity going on, up at that Tip. And now, in October, a banner hangs, saying, “COMING SOON – BAR AND GRILL�.

Imagine that, a bar…. AND a grill. All under one roof. Is the Tip set to reopen? And, will it be a Pub? Will it be a Tavern? A Hostel? A Dive? These questions, and many more – now that the recession is done – can be answered by glorious beers on end at that place!

That sign's been on there for months.

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Originally Posted by Lonyo exit

sign's been on there for months.

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Precisely! This is what I'm telling. What is up with that?

The likelihood of the Tipperary returning in any way resembling what it once was, is remote to say the least. An Irish Pub in that neighborhood? Why would someone go back there after all that happened? I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm saying it's highly unlikely. What's more likely is someone put some lipstick on the pig and is trying to find a sucker.

Used to go there back in the day, what was it that happened for it to shut down? remember John Santo's [[Hot Fudge Show-creator) used to sing there?

I have seen that sign there for months but have not seen any evidence of work going on. Still, I would be very happy if it did reopen as an Irish pub, I always enjoyed a beer at the Tipperary.

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Originally Posted by kryptonite

I always.

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Yesterday was a work ladder propped against the front wall.

Something is going on... something. It's not certain and mighty hard to say though what that might be.

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Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

The likelihood of the Tipperary returning in any way resembling what it once was, is remote to say the least. An Irish Pub in that neighborhood? Why would someone go back there after all that happened? I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm saying it's highly unlikely. What's more likely is someone put some lipstick on the pig and is trying to find a sucker.

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I grew up and lived in that neighborhood, therefore I have some historic perspective. This was always a rough bar, having the housing projects across the street was a big deterrent, yet the bar still did enough business to stay open. It was never a particularly irish neighborhood as well.

That being said I know you can't go back home. Tommy no longer owns the bar and the Cooney brothers are now of retirement age. Most of the folks I would spend time there with before midnight mass on Christmas eve with my family are now all dead or gone. The cops and firemen left the neighborhood when residency laws were lifted. If something does go in, it won't be the same. Not that that is a bad thing.

I speculate that the name would remain the same. I speculate that the artwork will stay the same. I am thinking that the bar itself will be the same. I'm also thinking that whoever is speculating to re-open that place, well, it's better than it just turning into another relic, ruin, or eyesore. And considering the development... ummmm... isn't there a Detroit Wal Mart in the works or something, where the Herman Gardens used to be? Could turn out to be a positive thing for that neighborhood. That storied, fonded-for, place. I'd bet dollars to donuts on that one.

Plus, if anyone reopens the Tipperary it would be a bit difficult to change it's theme of an Irish pub. It's so authentically Irish and pub-ish inside. It's also too nice to gut and change the interior. Hope for the best!

DetroitPlanner, you are right, my relatives lived nearby and that neighborhood was largely Polish plus later on some blacks and some Arabic. My relatives lived on the other side of Southfield north of Joy and I don't recall that area being particularly any ethnic group.

I remember the Tipperary and it's beautiful maps of Ireland on the building when I was a teenager.

There will be no Walmart where HG stood. Walmart already has a humongous new store about 1.5 miles from this location.

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Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

There will be no Walmart where HG stood. Walmart already has a humongous new store about 1.5 miles from this location.

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True, true at Ford & Southfield in the city itself.

I went out for a few beers last night and did a drive-by the Tipperary just out of curiosity. there was a standard garbage dumpster at the curb and one pickup truck in the parking lot. And there was a piece of plywood next to the front door. But no lights on inside or out. So maybe something is actually happening there?

But most of Detroit's old neighborhood bars have been turned into any number of types of businesses, you can spot many of the old pubs on the main roads and mostly they are not bars anymore.

There is another thread about the rebuilding of the old Herman Gardens location into something called Gardenview Estates. Since that is directly across the Southfield xway, I assume the new owners of the the Tip are considering those folk as future customers.

The shooting, and how it all went down, really killed more than that one guy [[Mikey?), it just sucked the spirit out of that place.

Gnome, if you don't mind saying, what exactly happened with that shooting?

I had many a great time at O'Halloran's, and was really sad to see it go. We used to drink there underage back in the 90's, and this wonderful Irish waitress would usually ask us in her brogue, "I don't have to card ya' boys, now do I?" I also enjoyed the two bearded Irish guys who would sing in the back. I don't remember how exactly it first happened, but they would usually play a polka for me late at night [[Bobby Vinton's "My Melody of Love" complete with the Polish part and an apology for butchering it) after bribing them with a some shots of Jameson.

What a great place.