Out & About

We visited Jake's Saloon 23rd Street and 7th Avenue for a great lunch and a cocktail or two with the owners Jimmy Cahill and Jimmy Glynn and I can tell you they run some great eateries in New York City as Jake's is just one of three.

Jake's Saloon is the in-spot for a lot of movie stars, (keep that to yourselves), even George Clooney makes it his favorite hang-out. The floor service is beyond compare and the bar staff are very professional.

Do a favor to the wife or husband or boyfriend or whoever and stop by and say hello the boys.

Wall Street is thriving, believe me. We were down on Stone St. and Pearl St. just to see what all the fuss was about and I can tell you this part of the city is well worth a visit.

We stopped in at the White Horse to see Mick Gleeson and his hard working wife who are the friendliest people you can ever meet.

They have been running this restaurant for well over three decades and the place is as homely as it was when the doors first opened.

The only thing is that Mick is always on the go, the man never sits down, I suppose that is why it is such a success good on you Mick keep it up!

Then it was on to Beckett's to meet up with Ronan Downs who is also a well-known professional in this business.

We saw Ronan but we just missed his partner Dermot. Again it was busy - wall to wall in fact... is that why its call Wall Street?

What a pint of Guinness we had - one of the very best you can find.

Out in the back on Stone street it was a sea of people with an incredibly good atmosphere and everybody was having a great time.

We stopped in next door to visit Tom Ryan and his manager Carol at Mad Dog and Beans Mexican Cantina on Pearl Street. I can tell you this is a unique Irish owned restaurant that has a special Mexican flavor to it and walk in thru to Stone street again what can I say packed.

On again we went, to Ulysses, to meet Danny McDonnell and Mick Jewel. This bar was also hopping, but the two boys were nowhere to be found so we had a pint at one of the biggest bars in Manhattan

We should all be very proud of what has happened and what the Irish Restaurant owners have done with their establishments in the financial district, it is just fabulous, make sure you visit as you could spend all night going from one to another and still want to see more.

Saturday night was a big night at the Cork Hall and Bantry Bay Publick House on Greenpoint Avenue as they had the Grace O'Gorman Trust fundraiser and they were blessed with a capacity turn out for this charitable event.

Entertainment was provided by Donie Carroll who is also famous for his off Broadway performances as one of top actors to appear at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Donie's fan club came out to listen to his magnificent singing and guitar playing.

The event did raise a lot of money for this worthy cause, a little girl who is only two years old who needs treatment that is expected to cost $800,000 at Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York.

Her parents are from Cork and Wexford and both are graduates of University College Cork and are temporarily living in New York.

For donations please go to the website: www.graceogorman.com.

Euro 2008 is now at its peak as the four nations that are in the semi-finals play this Wednesday and Thursday to decide who will contest Sunday's final.

The big game can be seen in all your local bars and restaurants.

Some cracking GAA All-Ireland Football Championship games this weekend also, as Dublin play Westmeath in Croke Park and the mach of the weekend as Armagh play Down in Clones to see who will play Fermanagh in the Ulster Final - there will be skin and hair flying!...

See you all next week.