Gang from the Ocean Club pose with Kelsey Grammer at last year's Bag Day. Lisa Falcone
When you go to the Irish Pub, here’s a pro tip: don’t ask Cathy any silly questions.
She’s heard them all being in business in Atlantic City since 1972. She told me on a recent visit that she gets, “Are you busy on St. Patrick’s Day?” a lot. Please, whatever you do, don’t be that guy.
Of course, I’m referring to the venerable pub owner and community philanthropist Cathy Burke.
She is one of the few people in town that you will never hear a bad word spoken about. She quietly runs a thriving 24-hour business she bought with her husband, Richard, over 50 years ago.
She also sponsors charity events, serves on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, puts up enough Christmas decorations each year to make Santa himself blush, lets her clientele get up close to priceless memorabilia collected over the decades, spearheaded the 911 memorial statues at St. James and the Boardwalk and, oh yeah, she feeds the stray cats in the neighborhood.
This place is so interesting, that I’m convinced if the beer stopped flowing and they ran out of corned beef, the place would still be packed!
There is a Joe DiMaggio wall against two-person booths near the bar. George M. Cohan, the father of Broadway, has a whole room dedicated to him. So does the film pioneer of yesteryear Mary Pickford. There is barely an inch of bare wall space anywhere you look. And if that’s not enough, Willie Nelson’s guitar tuner is usually there nightly…when he’s not out on tour.
The author with Cathy Burke behind the bar and Mark Ganter from the Little Water Distillery.
But the luckiest thing that can happen to you at this iconic place is if you catch a glimpse of Cathy herself during the nightshift. And you can feel blessed by the Celtic gods if she graces you with a story or two about boxing legends or famous entertainers like George Carlin who either stayed at the inn upstairs or sat at the bar and worked.
And if she offers you an Irish Coffee while she’s doing this, you feel like royalty. At least I do, every single time.
Getting Cathy to talk about herself or step into the limelight about anything that she has accomplished is like trying to get a leprechaun to chat about where he hides his gold. But with St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, BreakingAC got a quick interview with the elusive Irish magnate for her personal take on the unofficial holiday that only takes place at this iconic place in the heart of Atlantic City: Bag Day.
This event starts at about 10:30 a.m. March 18 and finishes by end of business.
"It's a daytime event," said Burke.
One of her favorite parts of this special day is when tourists happen to stop in for lunch and don't know what's going on.
"People are intrigued," she explained. "Visitors aren't privy to what's going on. They look around like they stepped into a sci-fi movie from the 50s!"
Most people in South Jersey know the lore.
The decorating of the bags on Bag Day is very important.
People who missed the revelry on March 17 because they had to work, came in after their shift. One of those customers put a bag on their head and the rest is history.
“Then we just decided then and there, we now declare March 18 forever and ever to be Bag Day,” Burke said.
She went on to say that, during the first celebration, "we stood in front of the door, and every time it opened and people wanted to come in, we said, 'No bag, no booze,' and people looked at us like they just came into a crazy house."
But according to Cathy, everyone just got into it and it grew from there.
“It’s enjoyed by everyone whether you are 21 or 101!”
She also marvels in the fact that is all started because people had to work at a busy time in the city and turned into people actually taking off from work to go to the modern Bag Day.
I, myself, am guilty as charged.
Burke loves that “it’s not like most holidays where you have things to do or family obligations.”
She couldn’t help but laugh while asking me, “Hey, what’s better than putting a bag on your head and going out and having a good time?”
This isn’t just a pub. It’s clearly become an institution.
It’s so well known that visual storyteller Steve Rogers and his team traveled to A.C. to shoot a segment.
He was so intrigued, he came back several times and made a documentary for PBS.
The latest episode of “Here’s The Story” will premiere Wednesday.
Be sure to watch as you will recognize community members, dignitaries, pub customers and even Kelsey Grammer talk to Rogers about what the pub means to them in the time capsule of the upstairs lobby of the inn.
This is a great business to support, not just in March, but all year long!
It never closes. It fits into everyone’s schedule. You can grab a corned beef special for 10 bucks and a beer for a few dollars more. So it fits into everyone’s budget as well. If you haven’t been, go…whether you’re Irish or not.
If you go to Bag Day, there aren’t many rules.
Put a paper bag on your head. If you forget, there are usually a few at the door.
But hitting the craft store is really the way to go. You don’t want to feel inferior to the ones that have glitter, shamrocks and even lighting do you?
Because Cathy is always watching. 😉
