By Paddy McCarthy
I am going to spend a little bit more time in my Out&About on this man as he was a big success story and an immigrant that came from Dublin Ireland so here we go. A legend who was among us just passed away, he was Cyril Fitzsimons, the owner of Cyril’s Fish House in Montauk, Long Island. He was well known all over New York as he was also in the past the owner of an Irish bar in New York City called Murphy’s on Second Avenue back in the late 70s and 80s.
I’m are going to give you a little history on this man very good man from Dublin, Ireland. Cyril Fitzsimons whose eponymous restaurant anchored the Montauk party scene through three decades before being pushed out of business by code violations, died on Friday in The Bronx, friends said. He was 77.
Mr. Fitzsimons was born in Dublin, Ireland but came to the US in his 20s. From his own accounts of his life, he joined the US Marine Corps on a whim while in Times Square and served in combat in Vietnam. After his tour of duty, his frequently told tale would go, he returned to Ireland where he opened a pub, got involved peripherally with the IRA and fled Ireland to Spain to avoid charges on something to do with explosives. What is known for sure is that he returned to America in the early 1980s and ultimately found his way in 1989 to Amagansett, purchasing a tiny shuttered restaurant across the highway from the dunes at the foot of Hither Hills and named it Cyril’s Fish House.
The restaurant found quick success with the summer apres-beach crowd of locals, guests at the large Napeague hotels and day-trippers transiting between Montauk and “The Hamptons.” With the uninsulated building shuttered in the winter, Mr. Fitzsimons started wintering in the Virgin Islands and ultimately opened a second outpost of Cyril’s in Anguilla. He split his year evenly between the two bars, which were open only when he was in residence, and was, literally, a daily fixture at both.
Cyril’s was renowned in the Montauk social scene for its laid-back island-life vibe, frozen drinks and Mr. Fitzsimons’ holding court, often in a sarong and sport jacket — looking like Major General Stanley on extended holiday — at a table near the bar. In 2007 Mr. Fitzsimons, in his 60s, tried to halt a burglar who had just beaten the restaurant’s bookkeeper and stolen more than $25,000 of weekend proceeds. He was bowled over by the crook but called the police who caught the thieves — a former employee and an accomplice — as they fled west on the only road leading away from the scene of the crime.
When Montauk became the premier destination for young metropolitan region residents looking to party on the weekends, the crowds at Cyril’s mushroomed into throngs of hundreds on summer weekend afternoons. But the shack was still just a shack with a small bar area. Cars lined the roadside for a mile and partiers and those coming and going were often literally standing on Montauk Highway. The bacchanalia brought complaints, safety concerns and, finally, scrutiny from the East Hampton Town government, which hit the business with a stack of code violations.
After battling the violations for more than two years, Mr. Fitzsimons threw in the towel rather than conform to the new limits that had been imposed on the tiny shack that relied almost entirely on outdoor seating.
Fitzsimons had continued spending winters in Anguilla, even though his bar there had closed after being badly damaged by a hurricane, and returning to the US in the spring He was living in an apartment he’d owned for several years in the Bronx, friends said, when he fell ill and was hospitalized. He was a very proud Irishman, and what a character! RIP Cyril. We would also like to credit Michael Wright of The Southampton Press to say thank you.
As you might know is that I am not Out&About because of this Coronavirus and do I miss it, keep it quiet! I should be back as soon as I can and hopefully this epidemic will be over sooner than later. Before I go on I would like to give my condolence to all those people that has died because of this virus and may they rest in peace.
Now here is something that might interest you and it’s from the Knicks and it says, “First and foremost, we hope you and your family are staying healthy and safe. We know that right now, the priorities of our city go beyond the game, but we also know that basketball can offer us a much-needed distraction during a time when we need it most. Let’s rewind to the 2011-2012 season. A moment that orange and blue faithful will remember forever. When a New York Knick sparked a movement across the basketball world, and rallied an entire city around the game we love. Linsanity. Mark your calendar because all week long MSG Networks will be replaying some of the most memorable Knicks games from Jeremy Lin’s incredible run. Stay safe, and we look forward to reuniting for Knicks basketball at The Garden.” For all the information go to msg.com.
This came to my attention from The Irish Repertory Theatre that is closed temporary because of the Coronavirus and is sorely missed by all: “Welcome to Meet the Makers – a digital series of conversations with scholars and Irish Rep artists offering a behind-the-scenes look at Irish history, theatre, and the creative process. New episodes are released every Thursday at 1pm and added to this page. This week’s episode is “Meet the Makers: Irish Rep Stage Managers”. In celebration of Actors’ Equity Association’s declaration of 2020 as #TheYearoftheStageManager, Pam Brusoski (A Child’s Christmas in Wales), Jeff Davolt (Lady G), April Ann Kline (A Touch of the Poet), and Michael Palmer (Pumpgirl) – four of Irish Rep’s most frequent stage managers – discuss their roles behind-the-scenes of your favorite productions. All videos can be found at youtube.com/IrishRep.
Andy Cooney has done it again with his Facebook concert that went live from his home in Long Island. The man never ages and his singing gets better and better, what can I say about this man? He has a great voice no matter where he is performing and it was well put together and very professional I must say. I always like to give credit where credit is due and if Elton John can do why not Andy right? Well as you can see that is why we are here to give you as much gossip that I can get.
See you all again WHEN I am Out&About again…