So go the lyrics to “The Parting Glass”, a traditional Irish ballad often sung at the end of a gathering of friends. It is with the same bittersweet sentiment that we bid farewell to Harley’s Irish Pub in Hackensack, New Jersey. A Bergen County institution since 1976, Harley’s Irish Pub will close its doors forever on Friday, November 13, 2015.
The Irish Connection
Harley’s was one of North Jersey’s first Irish pubs to genuinely embrace Irish culture, with a focus on hospitality, Irish tradition and what the Irish call ‘the craic’, meaning fun. Unlike highway mega mall pubs that are often Irish by name only, Harley’s was one of the region’s first pubs to capture the authentic look, feel and warmth of an ‘old country’ Irish pub. For homesick Irish transplants, a good night at Harley’s, complete with warm conversation, maybe a sing-song, live traditional Irish music and many laughs, was often a much-needed connection with home.
Family
The traditional village pub in Ireland is often a gathering place for local families. In many ways, Harley’s captured that family spirit, and that’s no surprise. This has always been a family business and the Harley family is a close knit clan, with generations of Harley family members working various shifts and most jobs at the pub over the years. The family’s warmth and humor, along with an exceptionally likeable and professional staff of bartenders and servers, may be the secret to the pub’s many years of success. It only takes a few minutes at the bar or in the dining area at Harley’s to feel you’re a welcomed member of the family.
Memories
“There have been so many good memories that it would be hard to pick just a few,” said Harley’s Irish Pub owner Patrick Harley. “I walked in the door in December of 1976, ready to take on the world and I’ve been extremely blessed with the loyalty of my family, friends, employees and customers. I owe them all a dept of gratitude.”
With all of the organized activities, clubs, trips and competitions that have been a part of the Harley’s story over the years, it’s a wonder there was ever time left over to serve food and drink to pub patrons. At one point, Harley’s boasted close to a hundred married couples who met at the pub. According to Harley, an astounding 95% are still married. Many couples met on one of the pub’s sponsored teams or trips which included horseback riding, white water rafting, Yankee games, Las Vegas and golf trips, horse shoe tournaments, sky diving trips and so many other outings. Harley’s also sponsored many teams over the years including Harley`s Running Club, led by team captain Mike Harley.
The Parties
For many Bergen County residents, Harley’s has always been the destination for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations and other festive occasions. The pub drew particularly large crowds on Saint Patrick’s Day and would typically be packed with the flood of post-parade arrivals in the afternoon through closing time partiers, periodically clearing a path for the bagpipers to march through the crowd every few hours. In recent years, the Harley’s Saint Patrick’s Day Week Irish Soda Bread Competition has attracted large crowds. “I’ll always remember the parties, especially the many years of Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties in August,” said Harley.
Giving Back
Harley’s Irish Pub has a long history of giving back to the community through annual Thanksgiving Day events for the homeless and other charitable endeavors and community fundraising programs. “My best memories are of the many benefits we sponsored to raise funds for those in need and, of course, the 25 years of feeding and clothing the homeless on Thanksgiving,” said Harley.
As longtime patrons, friends, former employees and family make their way to Harley’s Irish Pub over the coming days to enjoy a final pint, share a few memories and maybe even shed a tear, we’ll all wish the extended family of Harley’s ‘tapmasters’, servers, cooks and other staff members the very best. There’s not likely to ever be another place quite like Harley’s Irish Pub.
