Edmonds to Get Irish Bar Downtown

Next St. Patrick’s Day, there will be a downtown option for those looking for an Irish bar in Edmonds.

Brian Taylor and his wife, Louise Favier, will open an Irish-themed bar called Jack Murphys sometime late this summer or early fall. Renovation is now ongoing at the future location at 109 Fourth Ave. N., which is next to another upcoming new business: Bill the Butcher on Main Street.

Edmonds’ other existing Irish bar is on state Route 99.

Taylor, a native of Edmonds, isn’t new to the bar business. Jack Murphys will be just down the street from , a small wine bar next to the Edmonds Theater that he and Favier also own. Another Daphnes is located in Bellingham’s Fairhaven District. The couple also own a bar called Pencil Factory in the trendy Green Point section of Brooklyn, where they also keep an apartment.

Taylor stresses that Jack Murphys will be a bar and not a restaurant, although food will be on hand. There will be plenty of Irish beer and whiskey available, of course. But in a nod to the Pacific Northwest and Edmonds in particular, Taylor says he will also serve beer from and , both located in the Harbor Square Business Complex. Taylor also plans to serve beer from Big E Ales in Lynnwood.

“The Northwest and Irish vibes complement each other,” Taylor said. “I don’t know if it’s the weather or not.” Having said that, Taylor adds that a traditional Irish bar wouldn’t do well in Edmonds. “There would be four types of beer—they’d all be dark stouts—and three or four types of Irish whiskey. Jack Murphys is our take on a traditional Irish bar.”

As part of his take, Taylor chose the name Jack Murphy—the name of a late Irish politician—because his son is named Jack, and Taylor is also a fan of President John F. Kennedy. Murphy is a traditional Irish name, and it also happens to be the last name of Taylor’s close friends.

Jack Murphys will have a fireplace as well as a 25-foot wood bar, Taylor said.

Patrons will also be able to take advantage of a “snug,” which was part of traditional Irish pubs in the past. It’s a space, with access to the bar, that is closed off from the rest of the bar. Women were frequently sent to a snug room because they were frowned upon in a bar. No worries, Edmonds, said Taylor. Jack Murphys’ snug room will be available for couples who desire some privacy.

Entertainment will be a part of Jack Murphys, as Taylor said he wants to feature live, traditional Irish music with fiddles, flutes and the like. He’d especially like to feature these traditional Irish music sessions during the monthly .

To keep abreast of what’s happening at Jack Murphys, you can become a friend on a Facebook page created for the bar.