There’s self-pour Guinness booths, a pub-within-a-pub and authentic Irish breakfasts
Irish bar Dirty O’Sullivans has opened its doors within a historic 18th-century Manchester building(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
It’s true that Manchester has a lot of Irish pubs and bars right now – it’s not something that the owners of the newly-opened Dirty O’Sullivans can really get away from avoiding.
But, in the same breath, there’s no denying that they’ve gone for a elevated concept with their Albert Square spot in the former Red’s True BBQ spot. In fact, owners Tokyo Industries, who are also behind the likes of Gorilla, Deaf Institute and BLVD, have taken the last few years ensuring they get everything just right.
“When Red’s closed in 2023, we had plans to turn it into something else that would align with the reopening of the Town Hall,” Aaron Mellor, MD and CEO of Tokyo Industries, tells the M.E.N.
“I think, like everybody else, we were thinking that’d happen about two or three years ago. So when we heard that the Christmas Markets would be coming back to Albert Square – that was our motivation to get open in time.”
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The Irish-American venue takes its inspiration from New York bars and Martin Scorsese films(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Taking on an Irish-American theme, the venue is full of little knick-knacks from signs, mantras, and even the Guinness toucan situated around practically every corner.
There’s even private booths where customers can have bottomless Guinness – poured by themselves with tips from a ‘pour specialist’. There’s also Murphy’s, as well as Boddingtons, on draft, alongside an expansive choice of cocktails and spirits.
Guinness and Whiskey have a big focus within the bar(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
The venue also has its own ‘Outlet O’Sullivans’ shop, selling Dirty O’Sullivan caps, merch and bucket hats, as well as a live stage, and little nook-and-cranny spots to sit and relax. There’s even a church-style confessional booth, with the sign ‘God give me patience, but be quick’.
“What sewed the seed for the entire venue really was a visit to The Dead Rabbit in New York,” Aaron explains. “They have rooms that offer different atmospheres, and it just is a really great space that celebrates all things Irish with lots of Guinness and lots of Whiskey.
“We’ve tried to make the place look like an authentic American Irish bar that also shows off the elements of this beautiful 18th-century Lloyd House building which was built as a port dock office. We’ve gone for Gangs of New York vibes.”
Aaron Mellor, MD and CEO of Tokyo Industries, said he wanted the venue to ‘show off the elements’ of the historic Manchester building(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Built between 1867 and 1868, Lloyd House was granted listed status in 1974. The building was once the former headquarters of the Manchester Shipping Offices and Packing Company, in around 1887. Before the venue opened as Red’s in 2014, it was home to the Livebait seafood restaurant, which was open from 2006 to 2011.
“We wanted to create a space that feels like Dublin meets Manchester,” Tokyo industries’ Operations Director Chris Bateson adds of Dirty O’Sullivans. “It’s all the heart and ‘craic’ of a traditional Irish pub, but with the energy we’ve become known for. It’s a space for amazing Guinness, great authentic food, live music and good times.”
There will be private booths where people can enjoy unlimited Guinness(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
And it’s not just Guinness and Whiskey that is served at Dirty O’Sullivans. The food menu, developed by the same award-winning team behind the likes of Firehouse and Diecast, celebrates Irish-inspired sharing dishes – like Guinness onion soup, cheddar toasties, warm sausage rolls, loaded pies (with ‘proper’ gravy) and a full Irish breakfast.
When the concept was first unveiled a few weeks ago, the venue did not have a name. Aaron says its name came about as an in-joke with the team that never really disappeared. But, for whatever reason, the name does feel very Mancunian and Irish.
“It is quite cheeky,” he explains. “Our Finance Director’s called Michael O’Sullivan and he’s quite proud to be Irish, so it started with him. But, up until a few weeks ago, we were still indecisive on the name. We had a lot of suggestions but Dirty O’Sullivans just stuck.”
The Dirty O’Sullivans menu will, of course, include an authentic full Irish Breakfast(Image: Dirty O’Sullivans)
And with that, it’s time for the topic of Manchester’s boom in Irish bars and venues to come up. In the last few months, such venues have cropped up in the likes of Didsbury, the Northern Quarter and in the city centre. But, earlier this week, one venue, Mother Mary’s, off Oxford Road, closed its doors citing financial pressures.
“Irish bars certainly go through this renaissance where they will keep disappearing and then keep coming back,” Aaron admits. “I think there’s a lot that people can connect with them on. I think everyone is a bit Irish – in spirit, at least.
Lucky’s is the pub-within-a-pub in Dirty O’Sullivans(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“We wanted to offer something where people could come to somewhere which serves amazing breakfasts in the morning, and keeps on going until 2am with a traditional Irish band. There’s just something about that.”
One other novel aspect to Dirty O’Sullivans is a pub-within-a-pub called Lucky’s. It’s a temporary pop-up space, but right now it throws back to the pubs of the 80s with beer mats, uneven picture frames, old TVs, and a smoke machine giving off a hazy cigarette fume-filled atmosphere. It’s already been lovingly declared as the ‘world’s ****test pub within the world’s best bar’.
Private booths will feature their own Guinness tap where people can try their luck at pouring the ‘black stuff’ themselves(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Aaron’s Tokyo Industries continues to play a leading role in the city’s thriving hospitality scene and he is confident that Dirty O’Sullivans can fit nicely into that with what they’re offering.
“Manchester’s food and drink scene is always developing,” he explains. “We operate venues across the world but it’s really great to see Manchester is just continuing to expand. I’m from Manchester, I have a huge place in my heart for it, and I always will.”
The venue is inspired by the Gangs of New York movie from Martin Scorsese(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Dirty O’Sullivans opens today (November 14). Next Friday, on November 21, the team behind the venue are inviting people to dip into The Craic Pot to test their fortunes, pulling out prizes ranging from free pints, roast dinners for two and Baby Guinness shots to major giveaways – including the ultimate jackpot: free pints for life. The Craic Pot will be unveiled from 1pm.
Dirty O’Sullivans is on 22 Lloyd Street, Manchester, M2 5WA.
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